


Reflections

by Finsfall



Category: Frozen (Disney Movies)
Genre: Angst, Arendelle (Disney), Drama, F/F, F/M, Family, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Post-Frozen 2 (2019), Slow Burn, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-05
Updated: 2020-03-29
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:27:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 41,752
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21685255
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Finsfall/pseuds/Finsfall
Summary: Warning! All events in this story will take place after Frozen 2, you have been warned.Anna and Elsa are adjusting to their new roles when a disaster strikes during a royal summit in Arendelle.This is a work in progress, and will be updated whenever I find the time. The work has been outlined, but at this moment the number of chapters is still unclear.
Relationships: Anna & Elsa (Disney), Anna & Kristoff (Disney), Anna/Kristoff (Disney), Elsa & Honeymaren (Disney), Elsa/Honeymaren (Disney), Kristoff & Honeymaren
Comments: 89
Kudos: 279





	1. Anna

Anna thumped her forehead onto the painted surface of her desk. The sunlight coming through the panes of the balcony windows behind her was waning, yet the piles of papers on the desk seemed to grow by the second. When Kai, the chamberlain of the castle, had said that there was a lot to get done today he wasn’t over exaggerating. 

“Notices of your Coronation have to be sent to all of the surrounding kingdoms, the annual winter relief budget has to be double checked, and that’s not including the day to day work for running the kingdom.” Kai had rubbed his bald head, and gave Anna a look of pure sympathy as she stood there in the hall, all her plans for an afternoon picnic with Kristoph smothered under the ocean of paperwork. “I’m sorry your majesty. It’s been a month, it cannot wait any longer.”

Anna glared at the quill in her hand. She’d managed to sign everything that needed to be signed, but the budget had both her mind and her fingers in a knot. Math had never really been her thing. Planning a party? Shoeing a horse? Someone need cheering up? Not a problem. Anna’s parents used to say that she was like a sunbeam; bringing light and warmth to all she touched. Out of all her new tasks, Anna loved holding court the most. Listening to the concerns of her people, and thinking up creative solutions was something she excelled at. It was the bureaucratic parts of the job that left her wanting to run for the North Mountain. 

If I’d known how much work this was, I would have begged Elsa a little harder to stay. 

As soon as the thought crossed her mind she felt guilty. Elsa had only been gone for a month, but her absence in the palace felt like a void. Besides the few days when she’d set off the accidental winter all those years ago, Anna actually couldn’t remember a time when her sister wasn’t in the castle. Even if she had been behind closed doors for most of it, she’d always been just a knock away. Just knowing she was gone made Anna’s heart ache in a way she really had trouble putting into words. She was genuinely happy for her sister. Elsa had always been reserved in Arendelle, every action she took precise and measured against what she felt people wanted her to be. But now, In the Enchanted Forest with the Northuldra, and the other spirits, Elsa didn’t have to worry about being who she was. She could wield her magic without fear of seeing the slight twinges of distrust that even the most loyal among Arendelle tried to hide. Anna had seen it. So she knew that Elsa had certainly noticed. In the forest she could race the wind with her hair unbound, trade magical blows with salamanders, and build all the ice castles her heart desired without having to worry about being dragged off in chains like Hans had done. Arendelle was a place of happy memories for Anna, but her sister had grown up isolated, afraid of what people would think, and of what she could do. The walls of the castle must have felt more like a cage than a home to Elsa. But knowing all this didn’t help Anna from feeling any less like a part of her was missing.

Anna rubbed her face with both hands. The quill still grasped in her right smeared a line of ink down her temple, but she was too tired to care. The dark green gown she was wearing already had several ink stains in the lap, and her flame colored hair had long escaped any semblance of order. Thoughts of Elsa really hadn’t done anything besides ignite a longing for her company, which was definitely not helping to create a productive work environment. The shadows had crept further into the room while she’d been woolgathering. The clock hung over the family portrait she’d had moved to her office from the picture gallery read six pm. 

Dinner time already? Anna stepped towards the door, then looked at the papers again. Sighing, she sank back into her chair. I’ll just have to have Gerda bring me something. No one ever said doing the right thing had to be fun.  
………..

Long past when the plate Gerda had brought grew cold, and the fire in the hearth had died down to glowing coals, Anna placed the final report on the top of the stack in the outgoing box. Stretching, she winced a little as her joints groaned in protest at the sudden motion. 

“Oooff, note to self, sitting too long hurts.”

“What hurts?” A familiar voice asked from the doorway.

“Everything. I have hand cramps, leg cramps, and I think I may have tattooed myself falling asleep on my quill like an hour ago.” Anna smiled at Kristoff as he crossed the room to give her a hand up. “Remind me to have Olaf get me moving every once in a while.”

“Can do. He’ll be thrilled I’m sure.” Kristoff squeezed her shoulders, and the comforting smell of leather, reindeer, and something a bit like moss wafted across her like a blanket. “Fair warning though, I think the traders from Corona have taught him something called Yoga. Bending like that may be fine for a snowman who can put his feet on top of his head, but I really don’t think the human body was meant to move like that.”

Anna tried to picture someone besides Olaf putting their feet on their head and failed utterly. “Ok, approach Yoga with caution. Got it.” She tugged Kristoff towards the door. “I don’t know what you’ve been up to all day, but I know that I need to find a bed before I curl up on the rug.”

He chuckled. “You have been at it a long time. Coronation stuff?”

Anna made a face, “That among other things. Did you know that every time a monarch gets crowned, they’re supposed to invite the surrounding kingdoms to a sort of debut summit?”

“Yes. I remember that rather vividly.” Kristoff raised one eyebrow. “I’m pretty sure you do too.”

“Yes, well, I wasn’t really paying that much attention to what was happening beyond the castle being opened, then I met Hans.”

“Uggg, don’t even mention that name.”

Anna waved a dismissive hand. “Anyway, you get the picture. I barely know what sort of preparations are necessary because it was never part of my training. What clothes to wear, how the tables should be arranged, how to stand, what to say, heck, I’m not even sure who needs to come. I can speak every language of the surrounding countries, and I know all of their royal customs, but I barely know the first thing about ours. That was all Elsa.” 

A note of sadness crept into her voice at the last bit despite herself. She looked up to the portrait. The painted version of her sister smiled back where she sat perched next to Anna on Sven’s back, Olaf cradled in her arms, as Kristoff leaned against the group from behind his best friend. 

Kristoff followed her gaze. “I miss her too, Firebrand.”

“She comes for holidays, the occasional game night, but it’s just not the same.” Anna wrapped her arms around herself. “I miss her awkward hugs in the hallways. Smiles over breakfast, tiny jokes hidden around the castle just for me to find.” Anna dropped her gaze the floor. “ I don’t miss Queen Elsa, I miss spending time with Elsa.”

Kristoff ran a hand through his hair. “Change isn’t easy. You and Elsa will figure out a new pattern. It’s just going to take a little time, and a bit of learning. There’s no guidebook for things like love.” He looked a little sheepish, “I would know, I looked.” 

“When did you look?” Anna asked.

“Right after your sister brought back summer. Got laughed out of a bookstore too.”

“Really?”

Kristoff thumped a fist against his chest. “It's the honest truth.”

Anna grinned. Standing on her tiptoes she pecked him on the cheek, and dashed towards the door. “I really am ready to drop. Race you to bed?”

“Anytime.”


	2. Elsa

The fog drifting over the lake surface glowed a hundred different colors as the morning light crept over the trees of the Enchanted Forest. Sitting on an outcropping of stone, Elsa dangled her legs over the edge, bare feet just skimming the icy waters below. Deep in the forest behind her, the sounds of the Northuldra camp waking drifted on the wind. The reindeer stamped and snorted as their herders drove them towards the morning grazing. Feet crunched over the fallen leaves, and pots and pans clanked as breakfast got underway. A child called out somewhere among the trees, answered by another small voice that squealed in gleeful response. Elsa’s heart lurched.

_ Anna used to sound like that.  _

A cool tingle buzzed through her hands as her magic rose at the thought. Before she would have clamped down on the feeling. Buried it deep where no one could see, until only she could feel the numb ache spreading across her heart. But that was then, and she had come a long way from the scared girl she used to be. With a flick of her fingers, Elsa released her power into the morning air. Ice crystals danced across the lake in lacy patterns, curling every once in a while to reach like delicate waves for the rising sun. Elsa gave the ice free rein, reveling in the beauty of it as glowing tendrils of power drifted around her perch. Frost crept over the rocks like moss, while the trees closest to the water glittered brighter than gemstones in the light. Closing her eyes, she turned her face towards the sun. Tiny snowflakes speckled her cheeks, mingling pinpricks of cold with the warmth of the sun’s rays. Or at least what Elsa thought was probably cold. The corner of her mouth quirked into a smile as a memory floated to the surface.

_ Anna knocked on the study door with that distinctive rapping pattern Elsa would recognize anywhere.  _

_ “Come in.” Elsa called. _

_ The door creaked open, and footsteps clicked over the wooden floor. In the middle of untangling a particularly difficult balance sheet, Elsa did not look up from the ledger she’d been flipping through.  _

_ “I thought we weren’t having lunch until midday.” Elsa remarked. _

_ Something heavy hit the ground, and Anna cleared her throat.  _

_ Elsa finally looked up to find her sister clad in the thickest wool dress she owned, with cloak, boots, and gloves to match. The clock from the mantle lay by one foot, frozen solid in a block of ice at least six inches thick.  _

_ “It is midday.” Anna stated.  _

_ “It can’t be. The light hasn’t changed at all.” Elsa said in disbelief.  _

_ Anna pointed behind her, and Elsa turned around to find the windows completely fogged over. Ice crystals forming before her eyes wherever the droplets coalesced.  _

_ “Oops.” _

_ Anna smiled, “Kai noticed that there was a draft about an hour ago. The summer heat getting to you?” _

_ “Maybe a little.” Elsa dismissed the cold with a wave. “I just wanted to cool things down while I worked.” _

_ Anna paused. “Wait, this was your idea of cool?” _

_ “Yes?” _

_ Anna looked at her with something approaching awe, “Kristoff sneezed outside your door and it froze midair. You ever figure out when you actually feel cold?” _

_ “First of all, eww.” Elsa made a face, then shrugged. “But in answer to your question, no, not really. It's never bothered me.” _

_ “Well, no time like the present to figure it out!” Anna grabbed her hand and pulled her into the hall. “Today, we experiment!” _

They spent all of that afternoon on the mountain lake the ice harvesters frequented. Kristoff borrowed one of those tiny ice fishing houses from a friend, and together the whole group managed to haul it up the steep mountain trail. Anna built the largest bonfire Elsa had ever seen on the lake shore, and after a picnic lunch of sandwiches, they got down to the main order of business. The house was placed in the middle of the lake with the hardiest thermometer they could find tied to the door. The whole plan was for Elsa to shut herself inside and make it as cold as she could, while the thermometer would measure the temperature. Hopefully the walls would help give her a visual boundary for her magic so that the surrounding area would remain untouched, but just in case, Olaf was in charge of writing down the measurements. Anna and Kristoff provided moral support from the fire since they weren’t made of snow. In the end, all they discovered was that Elsa was more cold resistant than the fishing house, as it shattered half an hour into the test. The results were inconclusive, but nobody cared. They laughed and joked all the way home to finish the day with hot chocolate after a stop by the carpenter’s to order a replacement for Kristoff’s friend.

It was one of the last things they did together before Ahtohallan began calling to her. Elsa exhaled a tiny cloud of frost into the air. Life in the forest was perfect. She had the other spirits and the Northuldra to keep her company, the scenery was otherworldly in its beauty, and everyone accepted her magic wholeheartedly. Elsa was more at home here than she ever had been in Arendelle. So why couldn’t she shake the feeling that something, or rather  _ someone _ , was missing?

“I thought I’d find you up here.” A voice mused over her shoulder.

Caught daydreaming, Elsa screamed and jerked reflexively away from the sound, only to topple off her perch and into the lake below. Clawing her way to the surface, she swept aside the curtain of sopping white blond hair to glare at Honeymaren. 

“A little warning next time?”

Honeymaren held up her hands in supplication. “Sorry, sorry, wasn’t trying to scare you. I really thought you heard me, I tripped over like three branches and stubbed my toe on the way up.”

Elsa hauled herself out of the lake. Her pants and tunic were soaked to the skin, and a small puddle began to form immediately around her feet. 

“It’s fine. I should have been paying more attention.” She waved a hand over her clothes and froze the water with a thought. Drawing the frozen crystals out of the cloth with her magic, Elsa spun them into the shape of a tiny fish and tossed it back into the lake. “You wanted to see me?”

“For the record, that will never not be cool.” Honeymaren eyed Elsa’s dry outfit with appreciation. “You must save a ton of time doing laundry.”

Elsa shrugged. “Actually I’m rather slow at it. Growing up in a castle and all, I never really did my own. Anna learned. I'm pretty sure she begged the maids until they taught her, she’s persistent like that. One time, she even convinced one of the soldiers to show her the proper way to throw an axe. Our parents grounded her for a week, and reprimanded the soldier quite fiercely for giving a four-year old weapons. To this day she can out-throw any person in the kingdom.” Elsa smiled, “That girl is like no one I’ve ever met.”

Honeymaren cocked her head as she considered something, “Your sister is on your mind a lot, huh.”

“More and more these days it seems.” Elsa admitted. Not wanting to burden Honeymaren with her thoughts any further, she tried to change the subject. “But enough about that. You wanted something?”

“Mostly to make sure you were alright.” Honeymaren said. “I was finishing up a batch of  _ Smultring _ for Daiki’s birthday when one of those,” She jerked a thumb behind her, “appeared in front of my house.”

Elsa looked where Honeymaren was pointing and gasped. Ice sculptures dotted the landscape in waves behind the ledge she’d been sitting on moments ago. There was the time the sisters had gone lingonberry picking together over by a large spruce tree, a perfect replica of their fateful fight on the night of Elsa’s coronation flowed over boulders, and just visible through the trees in the center of camp, Anna and Elsa skated together by one of the Arendelle castle fountains. Opaque white tinged blue at the edges, each one was a perfect crystallization of a memory of Anna. Memories Elsa had been thinking about all morning long. Apparently giving free rein to her magic hadn't been the best idea when she was so distracted.

“I am so sorry!” Elsa raised her arms. Feeling for the magic infused in the sculptures, she pulled it back into herself. Each of the memories collapsed into piles of snow, and with another gesture, she melted those as well. “No one was hurt were they?” 

“Everyone is fine. Surprised, sure, but no harm done.” Honeymaren reassured. “We’re all pretty used to that sort of thing up here.” She put a hand on Elsa’s shoulder, “that little fire salamander that you get along with so well...”

“Bruni?”

“Yes, Bruni. He’s caused more mischief in a single hour than you have the entire time you’ve been in the forest.” Honeymaren grinned. “He has a habit of eating your fire if you don’t give him something else to munch on.”

“Eating someone’s fire and crushing them under a life-size ice sculpture aren’t the same thing.” Elsa pointed out. She gently plucked Honeymaren’s hand off her shoulder and stepped out of reach. Turning away from her friend, she looked out over the lake towards the ruins of the dam in the distance. “I promised myself I wouldn’t lose control again, but I did today. What happens the next time my mind wanders?”

“Nothing. Nothing happens. Your magic was never out of your reach.” Honeymaren walked over to Elsa’s side, close enough to touch, but she didn’t reach for her again. “You didn’t lose control. You set it free.”

“What’s the difference?”

“The difference is you weren’t fighting yourself.” Honeymaren said. “My mother once told me that fear is like a beast. It eats one up from the inside out, and claws at everything nearby. People who are afraid lash out unconsciously: with tongues, or swords, and in your case, magic.”

“Your mother sounds like a pretty wise woman.” Elsa sighed. “I’ve heard that before, and you’re right. Control isn’t the problem.” She sat on the mossy ground. Hugging her knees to her chest, she nudged a fallen leaf with a foot. “I think I may be homesick.”

Honeymaren smirked, “what gave you that idea?”

Elsa shot her a look. 

“Hey, the solution is pretty simple. Go visit your sister. You haven’t seen her in what, two weeks?”

“Since the last time we had a family game night, yes.” Elsa agreed. “But things are a bit...complicated.”

“How so?”

“Well…” Elsa paused. 

“Hey, I’m here to listen.” Honeymaren sat down next to Elsa. “Keeping it all bottled up isn’t going to solve anything.”

“I’m pretty sure I’ve heard that before too.”

“And whoever said it was right. Come on, what’s so complicated?” Honeymaren urged.

“Ok, if you really want to know.” Elsa took a deep breath, and let it go. “It’s Arendelle. Anna is pretty new at being Queen. When I’m around, people reflexively look to me for answers, not her. When I was there for game night, no less than four dignitaries stopped me in the halls for advice on everything from shipping treaties to land disputes. The last thing I want to do is undermine her rule.” Elsa said. “So I made a promise to myself that I would stay away for a while to give the people time to adjust. Anna cares for Arendelle more than anyone I’ve ever met. She’s smart, resourceful, and always manages to see the best in people. There is no better Queen than her. Arendelle will see it too, but it's not going to happen overnight. My father once said that a Monarch is born from their actions, not from their birthright. Given a chance, Anna will do great things for our country. I’m just providing the space for that to happen.”

“How long do you think it will take?” Honeymaren asked.

“That’s the problem. I do not know.” Elsa admitted. “Anna told me that she is going to hold a summit to announce her new role to Arendelle’s allies. After the other kingdoms formally recognize her as Queen, her political standing will be much more secure. While not so much an issue historically in Arendelle, challenges to succession are fairly frequent among royal houses. The last thing Anna needs is some noble deciding that I need to be on the throne, and starting a war to make it happen.”

“I’ll admit, all this is pretty much a foreign language to me.” Honeymaren gaped at Elsa. “But do you really think that war could be a possibility? You don’t even want the crown!”

“Ludicrous isn’t it?” Elsa ran a hand through her hair in exasperation. “I made my choice. Yet if someone gets it into their head that Anna isn’t fit to be Queen, at best they could make her life difficult, at worst they could use my name as a rallying cry for her deposition.”

“I am glad I’m not royal. We choose our leaders.” Honeymaren mused. “So, you are keeping your distance until after the summit then?”

“Trying to.” Elsa glanced back towards the broken dam: towards Arendelle. “The first few days were easy. I played with Bruni, discussed rock crystals with the earth giants, had a snowball fight with Gale, and went for a long ride on Nokk. When the other spirits were busy, I just explored on my own, or spent time you. But every so often something would remind me of her. A painted sunflower on a wall. Two kids building snowmen together. The smell of chocolate. Each day was a little harder, until, well…” Elsa waved a hand, and a tiny sculpture of Anna appeared by her feet. “I think the worst part is not knowing how she is doing. I want to help her, support her like she did when I was Queen. The best thing I can do is stay away, but no matter how self imposed, the separation is gnawing at me.”

Honeymaren thought for a moment. “So you can’t visit her, at least not yet. Have you been sending letters?”

“Yes. Whenever I can get Gale to take one. She always responds that she is doing well, and that Arendelle is fine.” Elsa let out an uncharacteristic snort. “Like she’d say if anything was wrong. Anna would tell you that I have a bad habit of dealing with problems on my own. She has a bad habit of not wanting to worry anyone.”

“Everything could actually be okay you know.” Honeymaren said evenly.

“It could be.” Elsa admitted. Dropping her head into her hands she groaned. “I’m literally in a magical paradise with some of the nicest people I’ve ever met. I should be living my new life, not dwelling on the past I left behind.”

Honeymaren smiled. “It’s normal to feel homesick when you move, Elsa. I remember one summer when we packed up to move the herds to their winter grazing, I cried and cried about the friends I was leaving behind. But next summer when we returned, my friends were still there, and they were happy to see me again.” Leaning over, she put a hand once more on Elsa’s shoulder. “Look, you may not be able to be with her right now, but that doesn’t mean your bond with Anna will vanish. If Anna is half of the Queen you believe her to be, she’ll be just fine.”

Elsa took Honeymaren’s hand and gently squeezed it. “Thank you. Thank you for listening, it really means a lot.” She smiled shakily back, “and you are right,  _ I’m  _ right. Anna can handle anything this world throws her way. If I could just see her face, reassure myself that she’s safe, then I know I wouldn’t worry so much.”

“Well, there might be a way.” Honeymaren nodded towards the north. “I seem to remember you mentioning something about a massive glacier that holds the secrets of the past? It never said it how far in the past you had to look.”

“Honeymaren, you are a genius!” Elsa hugged her. Leaping up, she put two fingers in her mouth and whistled. “Ahtohallan must contain some recent memories from Arendelle, I don’t know why I didn’t think of that!”

“I do have my moments.” Honeymaren hugged her back. “You go get the answers that you need. We’ll be here when you’re done.”

A ripple appeared in the middle of the lake. It arrowed towards the shore, gaining momentum and volume as it went until a seven foot wave loomed over the two women. Instead of breaking as waves do, the water coiled in on itself. There was a small plunking noise, like a stone makes when thrown into a well, as the Nokk’s horse-like body locked into place. Shivering its translucent “skin”, the Nokk pricked both ears towards Elsa, and trotted over. 

“I shouldn’t be long, but if I don’t get back before dark, please tell Daiki that I owe him that ice skating trip he’s been begging me for.” Elsa ran a hand through the Nokk’s watery mane, and he curved his neck in pleasure. “He’s free to collect at any time.”

“I’ll let him know.” Honeymaren promised. “You be careful out there.”

“I will.” 

Elsa leapt onto the Nokk’s back. With one last wave to Honeymaren, she pointed her mount’s nose to the north. The Nokk lunged forward, and the pair left the forest behind in a spray of salt and snow.

  
  



	3. Anna

Anna stood on the dais, party-goers whirling around on the dance floor before her. The summit was in full swing, and everything had gone perfectly. The ambassadors welcomed Anna’s new role, some had even suggested alliances in the moments they’d been alone. She’d made new friends, brokered a trade in wheat that heavily benefited Arendelle, and impressed everyone with her yodeling skills. Now, all that was left to do was celebrate. 

Anna looked out at the crowded room and smiled. The castle servants had really outdone themselves for the event. The great hall was alight with hundreds of candles in chandeliers that hung high among the rafters next to banners bearing the Arendelle royal crest. Even Elsa had gotten in on the action, leaving ice in glittering patterns across the ceiling that threw rainbows in the flickering light. Two long tables stretched the length of the room on both sides. One was laden with all the savory delights that the castle chefs knew how to create, while the other was piled high with every kind of chocolate confection imaginable. It smelled divine even from across the room. Anna made a mental note to visit the kitchen at the end of the night to grab some leftovers to enjoy in private. Chocolate smears weren’t very queenly.

A trumpet sounded, and the doors to the great hall swung open. 

“Announcing their royal highnesses, Princess Elsa, Lord Kristoff, Olaf, and Sven.” The herald boomed.

The room bowed as the four entered. Elsa was a goddess in a crystalline white gown with a train that flowed behind her like a living thing. She nodded towards the guests regally, light bouncing off the snowflakes scattered in her loose hair. Kristoff, Olaf and Sven wore matching suits in the colors of Arendelle, and all looked equally uncomfortable. Kristoff reached to undo his tie, and turned the motion into a wave when Elsa elbowed him. Anna resisted the urge to giggle. The whole family, minus Elsa, bowed to the room, and formalities over with, the musicians picked up where they left off.

The boys made a beeline straight for the food, while Elsa crossed to the dais. The crowd parted like the sea before her, newcomers to the kingdom staring open-mouthed as they beheld the legendary Snow Queen for the first time. She passed in front of Anna to take her place beside her, and Anna felt her press something round and cold into her hands. Anna shoved whatever it was into the pocket sewn in her dress’ waistband, and beamed at her sister.

“You made it! I really wasn’t sure if you were going to, my letter was a little late, and I know you’ve got a lot on going, what with being the fifth spirit and all now, but you made it!” Anna babbled. “I’m so happy you’re here! I’m so happy everyone is here! I was really worried, but everything went great. Look!” She pointed to the dessert table where Kristoff was busy devouring pie with a rotund, sandy haired fellow in a white and gold uniform. “I even made amends with the King of the Southern Isles. He’s actually a great guy, nothing like Hans at all!” She wrapped an arm around Elsa and pulled her into a hug. “This has got to be one of the greatest days of my entire life.”

Elsa hugged her back. She opened her mouth, but instead of her voice, high pitched masculine one came out instead.

“Anna, wake up!”

Anna jolted up in bed. In the sunlight by her pillow, Olaf stood with a bucket of water clutched in one twiggy arm. “Olaf?”

“Oh good!” The snowman exclaimed. He waddled over to the window and tossed the bucket out. There was a scream from the courtyard below as someone got an unexpected bath. “I was really not looking forward to using that. Sven promised it normally worked for Kristoff, but it seemed a bit extreme.” Olaf said.

Still half-asleep, Anna rubbed her eyes until Olaf was more than just a blurry smudge. “What?”

“The water.” Olaf explained. 

“Right.” Anna reached over to Kristoff’s side of the bed. “Honey, do you know what…”

Her fingers hit a cold pillow instead of his arm. Alarm shot through her, and Anna looked over to find Kristoff’s side of the bed neatly made. She glanced at the changing screen; an empty hanger hung next to her dress. Really dreading the answer to her next question, Anna turned to the snowman.

“What time is it?”

Olaf tapped his head, considering. “Well, I had breakfast with Kristoff, and he asked me to get you up when the clock chimed eight. Then he went off with Sven to get ice for the party. An hour later I promptly woke you up. You groaned something about ten more minutes.” He held up both hands, “I gave you ten minutes until I ran out of fingers. Then I counted on toes, but I only have two.”

Anna tossed back her covers and dashed for the dressing screen. Snatching her dress off the hanger, she hastily tugged it on, and ran a brush through her hair. The brush hit snarls almost immediately. Anna threw up her hands, and wound the whole mess into a bun. Stepping out from behind the screen, she struck a pose.

“How do I look?”

Olaf looked her up and down. “Uh, do you want my honest opinion?”

“Is it that bad?” Anna asked.

“Are those buttons supposed to be in the front?”

Anna looked down and groaned.

One dress reversal later, Anna and Olaf marched down the hall to the guest wing of the castle. The minute they crossed the threshold they were swallowed by a sea of activity. Servants ran back and forth carrying fresh linens, flowers, and other such necessities for the arriving dignitaries’ rooms. A couple of people bowed to Anna when she passed, but most were to engrossed in their tasks to notice the Queen in their midst. Of all the people invited to Anna’s debut summit, only Ambassador Mari from Vesterland wasn’t staying in the castle. As the representative for Arendelle’s closest neighbor, she had a permanent residence in the village proper. This meant that every other guest had to be housed and treated as befit their rank. Anna had worked over the arrangements with Kai so many times now that she could recite the room assignments by heart. The south-facing rooms were reserved for other monarchs, princes and princesses. Anyone holding a title, but not a royal lineage, was assigned to the northern side. It was less prestigious but still included all the amenities of the other suites, as every guest was acting on behalf of their nation. It had been three years since many of the rooms had been used. Some had been converted to storage, while others sat gathering dust, and they all needed to be cleaned out before the first guest arrived. Still, for the amount of work that had to be done, the pace everyone was moving at seemed excessive.

Anna flattened herself against the wall as two men staggered past with an armoire. “Wow, is it just me, or is everybody in a hurry?” She asked Olaf.

“That’s because the first ship has been sighted. Ahead of schedule your Majesty.” Gerda answered as she dashed past. The housekeeper’s coif was askew on her head, and there was a smear of dust on her normally pristine jacket. “I think it is the delegation from the Southern Isles.” She said before disappearing around the corner.

Anna’s mood took a nosedive. Of all the people she had invited, King Halstein Westergaard of the Southern Isles was the person she most dreaded meeting. First, he was related to Hans. Second, she had heard rumors that he had a sour temper, and tended to war with his neighbors as much as he traded with them. Third, he was related to Hans.

“But he can’t be that bad. I’m sure most of the rumors were exaggerated. Nobody could really scowl ALL the time.” Anna reasoned. “Right?” 

Olaf shrugged. “One of the stablehands told me that if someone did scowl too much, their face would freeze like that. I don’t have the science to support it, but sounds reasonable to me.”

“That’s not a thing. At least I’m pretty sure it’s not.”

“I’m going to smile less just in case.” The snowman rubbed at the corners of his mouth. “Can you imagine the pain of never being able to express anything but a single emotion forever? Even if you were breaking apart inside, all they’d ever see would be that smile.” Olaf shuddered, “That would be the worst.”

“What would be the worst?”

Olaf and Anna looked up as Kristoff entered the guest wing. He was wearing the dress slacks that had been laid out for him, but sometime during the morning he’d ditched the fancy shoes for a pair of beat up work boots, and pulled a wool sweater over the pressed shirt. The sweater had a liberal coating of reindeer fur, some of which had shed onto silvery surface the mirror he held.

“Kristoff!” Anna went to hug him, but at that exact moment several other men pushed past carrying a table and chairs, turning her hug into a lunge as she spun to avoid them. She tackled Kristoff, and the pair slammed into the opposite wall. 

“Oof!” Kristoff gasped. Somehow managing to catch Anna without dropping the mirror, he doubled over as the wind was knocked out of him. 

“Sorry, sorry, are you okay?” Anna ran her hands over him in concern as he wheezed. “Does anything hurt? I think I may have elbowed your stomach, do you need ice?” She tugged up his sweater and saw the shadow of a bruise beginning to form just over his left hip. It was a perfect match for her elbow. Anna winced in sympathy. “Oh, that definitely left a mark.” 

Kristoff just nodded, so she turned to Olaf, “Could you go get him some ice?”

“On it!” Olaf saluted, and ran off towards the kitchen.

Turning back to Kristoff, Anna reached for the mirror in his grip. “Here let me get that for you.”

“I…*huff*...it’s heavier than it looks.”Kristoff managed to get out.

“Pffff, can’t be that bad.”

The mirror was one of those free-standing full-length types, and roughly about as long as Anna was tall. The sides and bottom were flat edged, like part of a rectangle, while the top curved into a gentle arch. There were runes carved deep into the gilt wood frame; spiraled in pretty patterns around the entire edge. It was impossible to tell where the writing began or where it stopped as the sunlight in the halls caused the whole surface to sparkle. 

Anna grabbed the flashy thing by the sides and lifted it out of Kristoff’s grasp. Rather, she tried too. Despite being no thicker than one of her fingers, it must have weighed well over half of what she did. 

“Wow, you weren’t kidding. What the heck is this made of, solid lead?” Anna’s arms strained against the frame, but barely budged. 

“Solid silver more likely.” Kristoff said. The color was returning to his cheeks, but he was still wheezing a little. “Help me set it down? You guide, I’ll support.”

Anna nodded. Working together, they managed to place the mirror on the floor without breaking it or themselves in the process. With the extra weight off his chest, Kristoff sank to the floor with a grateful sigh. 

“I’m just gonna stay here for a second.” He smiled up at Anna, “you really know how to knock a guy off his feet.”

Anna smiled back ruefully, “I really am sorry. I would have preferred if it was a little less, well, literal.” She plunked down next to him. Tugging up his clothing again she winced at the growing bruise. “Ow, that has got to sting.”

“It’s fine, I’ve gotten way worse from family before. Rock trolls are well, made of rocks. Little ointment, some ice, and I’ll be good as new.” Kristoff planted a kiss on Anna’s head, and snatched his sweater playfully from her grasp. “Now are you going to keep undressing me in the hall, or are we going to continue preparing for our guests?”

“Hmmm, that’s a tough choice.” Anna ran her gaze appreciatively over her betrothed. She locked eyes with Kristoff and licked her lips.

“I know what I’d chose.”

He turned beet red, and she collapsed into giggles. Kristoff rubbed a hand self consciously across the back of his neck, purposefully not making eye contact any of the servants who paused what they were doing to glance curiously at their Queen rocking on the ground with mirth. 

Wiping away a stray tear from her face, Anna managed to pull herself together with some effort. Planting a kiss on one of Kristoff’s burning cheeks, she stood, and offered him a hand up. 

“We might as well get back to work. Someone is sure to come looking for one of us soon enough.”

Kristoff took it. Rising from the floor, He turned back to the mirror and hefted it again. “And the furniture isn’t going to arrange itself.” He moved off down the hall, Anna trailing in his wake. “What are you doing in the guest wing anyway? I thought that you had a meeting with your council this morning.”

Anna slapped her forehead. “I knew I was forgetting something!”

“Anna…”

“I know, I know, but I think I overslept it anyway.” Anna waved a dismissive hand. “The meeting was just supposed to be a final briefing on the protocol for tonight. It’s all anyone has been talking about for the last week. I know it forwards, backwards, and upside down, it’ll be a piece of cake.”

Kristoff raised an eyebrow. “Like that time you served the Eldoran Ambassador pickled herring?”

“In my defense, she never said anything about being allergic to seafood.” Anna crossed her arms. “That doesn’t count.”

“What about the time you wore pajamas to the court’s Northern Lights Gala?”

“It was at midnight! Only pajama parties should start at midnight!”

“Or when you mistook the Crown Prince of Chatho’s wife for his mother.”

Anna winced at that memory. “Okay, that one was bad. Never going to make that mistake again. But I really did memorize everything for the summit. I know the names, faces, and ranks of everyone attending, what their favorite pastimes are, what their countries produce, what they need from Arendelle in trade: I got this.”

“Hey I believe you, but I’m not the one you have to convince.” Kristoff turned into one of the bedrooms, and Anna followed him inside. “You advisors are just nervous. Last time we had a Coronation party the whole kingdom ended up in an eternal winter. When I got back from hauling ice with Sven this morning, I ran into one of the trade ministers buying winter supplies at Oaken’s, and passed another shopping for good luck charms in the market. Let them see that you’re prepared, and I’m sure everyone will relax a little.” 

Anna frowned. She had been so wrapped up in preparations for the summit that she hadn’t even thought about how people might be comparing it to Elsa’s. Sure, she had known that they would, but she never thought that some might feel the need to prep for a natural disaster. For once she was actually glad that her sister wasn’t here. Elsa already felt bad enough for all the trouble she caused back then. After she melted the winter weather, she’d personally apologized to every person in the kingdom. To this day Anna did not know how her sister found the courage to knock on those doors. Not only had she forced herself to interact with hundreds of people after living in near complete isolation, but she’d been openly talking about the very thing that caused that isolation in the first place. Every day for a week Elsa had gone out in the morning; returning after dusk, pale, exhausted, and visibly shaken. Anna had offered to go with her, but Elsa refused.

_“This is something I have to do, and it is something I must do alone.” Elsa said. She’d placed a hand on Anna’s shoulder, and given her a tired smile. “It’s as much for me as it is for them.”_

_“But..”_

_Elsa shook her head, “Just knowing that you’re waiting here is enough. Thank you, Anna.”_

Learning that people were afraid it would happen again would break her heart. Elsa had made amazing progress over the past three years, the last thing Anna was going to do was let some close minded individuals ruin it over superstition. If another meeting would soothe their fears about the summit, than she’d have it.

“I’ll have Kai reschedule the meeting for after lunch, but I still think it’s unnecessary.” Anna relented. Kristoff smiled at her over his shoulder, but didn’t say anything more as he tried to pick a spot to set down his burden. Leaning against the doorway, Anna got a good look at the room they’d walked into for the first time. 

She let out a long whistle. “Wow, this cleaned up nice!”

They were standing in one of southern rooms judging from the view of the Fjord visible from the ornate balcony at the far end. The balcony doors were shut tight, but someone had polished the leaded glass panes until they were as clear as the sky outside. On the right side of the room, the four-poster bed had been waxed, the mattress fluffed, and new linens of gold and green were laid out on top with nary a wrinkle. To the left, a dressing screen and armoire flanked the fireplace on either side, each brightly clad in a fresh coat of paint. The whole place looked fit for a king, which was good, because it was going to hold one in a couple of hours.

Kristoff shuffled over to an empty spot to the left of the balcony on the far side of the armoire, and set the mirror down. “Think it looks good here?”

The way he’d placed it, just slightly angled towards the bed, caused the mirror’s surface catch the light from the balcony windows. The silvery surface seemed to glow as if lit from within, while the gilt frame tossed fragments of light across the ceiling.

Anna’s jaw dropped, “It’s like the inside of a diamond, it’s perfect!”

“You sure not a little more to the right?”

Anna pointed a threatening finger at him. “Don’t you dare!”

“Okay, okay, stepping away now.” Kristoff put up his hands, and backed slowly away from the mirror. Joining Anna in the doorframe, he looked out over the room in appreciation. “What lucky person is staying in here?”

A trumpet sounded in the distance, and Anna made a face.

“The King of the Southern Isles. Who apparently just arrived.”


	4. Elsa

The Nokk’s hooves met the shores of Ahtohallan without a sound. Prancing a little in place, he turned his head to give Elsa a friendly nuzzle before bending one knee so that she could dismount with ease.

“Thank you as always, Nokk.” Elsa jumped down and gave his withers a scratch. “I shouldn’t be too long, but don’t bother waiting. I’ll send the usual signal when I’m ready to go.”

The Nokk leaned into her ministrations for a moment, then giving himself a shake, the horse-like spirit trotted back towards the Dark Sea. Standing in the shallows, he looked over his shoulder at Elsa. A vague impression of salt, glittering ice crystals, and the faint echoes of a song flickered against her mind as their eyes met. It was foreign sensation, like brushing against a cobweb in a dark corridor. Unseen, yet undeniably present. 

This sort of mental connection had been happening more often the last few days, but it began soon after she moved permanently to the Enchanted Forest. 

_ Elsa sat on a log on the outskirts of the camp, a basket of fish by her feet. Two of the boys had gone out around dawn to see if anything was biting in the shallows, and they’d had more luck than expected. Elsa had awoken to a loud banging on the door of her cabin. Yawning, she’d opened the door and had the basket shoved unceremoniously towards her face. _

_ “Elsa! Look what we caught!” Askel exclaimed. He was wet from head to toe with moss stains all over his trousers and his best friend Liam was in a similar state. Both boys beamed up at her with pride.  _

_ “I got six, and Askel caught ten! That’s the most ever!” Liam yelled.  _

_ “That is a lot.” The fish flopped in their container under her nose, and Elsa tried not to gag. “I’m sure your parents will be very proud.” _

_ “They were! But we can’t eat them all today, and Papa said that they might go bad. Mama said that letting food go to waste is wrong, and that we should dry them out for the winter.” Askel said. “But I hate dried fish.” _

_ “It’s gross.” Agreed Liam. _

_ “So I was thinking of all the ways that things can stay fresh besides drying. Pickling makes stuff soggy, and salting is too salty. Then I remembered that in the winter you can put things on ice and they’ll keep forever.” He looked up at Elsa with pleading eyes, “so can you freeze them for us?” _

_ “Please, please, please?” Liam begged. “We’ll even go catch you some more if you want. We’re really good at it!” _

_ And so Elsa found herself freezing a growing basket of fish as the boys did their best to supply the whole tribe for the winter. She reached for another, encasing it in ice as soon as her fingers met scales. Tossing it onto the pile for meant for the storehouse, she turned back to the basket, but it wasn’t there. _

_ “Morning Elsa, the fisher boys at it again?” Honeymaren hefted the basket experimentally. “They really outdid themselves this year, huh?” _

_ Elsa looked up at the other woman.“This year?” _

_ “Yup. It’s become kind of a contest to see who can bring back the most. Great way to get the kids involved in preparing for the winter, but all that dried fish gets pretty monotonous.” Honeymaren smiled down at the small mountains of frozen fish by Elsa’s feet. “This is a great improvement, thanks for helping out. I know you made those boys’ day.” _

_ Elsa’s stomach gave a little flop that had nothing to do with the fish smell. “It was nothing.” Reaching up she retrieved the basket from Honeymaren’s grip. “What are you doing up so early?” _

_ “Well I have reindeer guard duty today, and I was wondering if you wanted to come along?” Honeymaren asked. There was a practiced sound to her question, and her voice pitched just a little on the last word.  _

_ Elsa raised an eyebrow, “to guard the reindeer?” _

_ Honeymaren bobbed her head, “It’ll be fun! Once we get the deer settled, I can show you all of my favorite spots in the forest. There’s bound to late some late blackberries left! We can pack a picnic, hike up to the Crystal Peak, and watch the summer birds fly south. What do you say, want to go?” _

_ She stared bright-eyed at Elsa waiting for an answer; brown hair curling around her face like plumage fluffed out in excitement. Elsa smiled. Honeymaren reminded her of a sparrow. She’d always had a soft spot for the little birds that frequented her window when she was young. Whenever things were getting too hard, or the loneliness began pressing in, she would push open one of the panes, and let in the feathery friends who had been waiting outside. She never tried to touch them, she’d been afraid of what might happen. Instead, Elsa would sit on her hands and watch as the sparrows happily bounced around the window seat, pecking at leftover crumbs from her dinner tray. They’d brightened some of her darker moments, and for that she was eternally grateful.  _

_ A cough shook Elsa from her reverie. Honeymaren still stood before her, practically vibrating with nerves as the pause stretched between them.  _

_ “If you don’t want to, that’s okay too. We can always go another time if you’d rather…” Honeymaren offered. _

_ “No, I’d love to go.” Elsa interrupted her babbling. “What did you want to bring for lunch?” _

_ “Really?” Honeymaren squeaked. Visibly flustered, She tried to run a hand through her hair. Encountering her hat, the motion turned into a kind of fist-pump instead. Clasping her tratorious hands behind her back, Honeymaren cleared her throat and tried again. “I mean, yeah, no. I didn’t pick anything out yet. What do you want?” _

_ Elsa shrugged, “as long as it’s not fish it sounds good to me.” She looked ruefully at the piles around the log. “Clearly we’ll be eating enough of it over the winter.” _

_ “I’ve got some leftover stew from last night. You wait right here, and I’ll go pack a bag. See you soon!” Honeymaren beamed at her, then took off like an arrow towards the camp. _

_ Elsa heard a snort from behind her, and she turned to find the Nokk standing there. He was looking after Honeymaren with an unreadable expression on his face. Elsa raised an eyebrow at the water spirit.  _

_ “You got something to say?” _

_ The Nokk snorted. Tossing his head up, he puffed out his chest like a parade horse. Prancing in front of Elsa’s seat, the Nokk placed his watery bulk between her, the camp, and the retreating Honeymaren. Flicking one ear towards Elsa, he flicked the other towards the camp, then back to her.  _

_ It took her a second to understand. Cheeks burning, Elsa ducked behind her loose hair.  _

_ “It’s not like that. We’re friends. Just friends.” _

_ Two watery orbs stared back, unconvinced. _

_ Elsa writhed uncomfortably under that gaze. Searching for anything to break the tension, her eyes landed on the basket. Picking up one of the unfrozen fish, she offered it to him. “Want one?”  _

_ The Nokk’s attention snapped to the fish. It let out a squeal, and a wave of joy that was not her own broke over Elsa. Shocked by the sudden sensation, the fish fell from her nerveless fingers to the forest floor. The Nokk lunged after the fish, and gobbled it down with gusto. He snuffled at the ground to make sure he’d gotten it all, then looked up expectantly at where Elsa sat frozen on the log. The same feeling brushed against her mind, but this time it felt more like a question if that was possible. _

_ Elsa gaped at the Nokk. “Was that you?” _

_ The Nokk looked towards the fish basket, then back at her, and the feeling came again. _

_ Hands trembling, Elsa picked up another one of the fish and tossed it to the water spirit. _

That was the first time that she’d actually felt some form of communication with the other spirits beyond simple gestures. Elsa wasn’t sure whether her powers had grown, or if she’d just listened in the right way, but whatever the reason, her connection to the spirits was changing. The earth giants began speaking to her soon after the Nokk. Their words were slow and sounded as if someone was speaking around a mouthful of marbles, but they were fairly easy to understand compared to Gale, who only spoke in the voices of others that she’d heard. The wind spirit had a habit of taking every word she wanted to use in a sentence from different people, and the resulting mix of voices was distracting in the extreme. Bruni and Nokk didn’t communicate in words; the former preferred to make pictograms in fire, while the latter somehow transmitted feelings and impressions. 

Elsa hadn’t mentioned any of this to the Northuldra, not even to Honeymaren. Clearly the whole “hearing spirits thing” was part of her new role. But if she was honest with herself, it scared her. Elsa already felt a little out of place with the other humans. Having magic was a part of it, but that wasn’t the whole reason. The Northuldra accepted her with open arms, but she was still getting used to their ways. Living in the forest was very different from life down in Arendelle. Secrets were far and few between in the camp. If someone had a problem, everybody knew about it, and everyone tried to help. Elsa might have felt free for the first time in her life, but that didn’t mean she found opening up to people any easier. She had spent too much time burying her problems over the years for that. Having magic was one thing, being able to talk telepathically to a horse made of water? That was something else. Elsa was already different enough, the last thing she wanted was some new power driving a wedge between the life she’d begun to build with the people in the north.

Shivering, but not from the cold, Elsa tentatively smiled at the Nokk staring at her from Athohallan’s shore. 

“Yes, I’ll call you.”

The water spirit snorted. There was a slight pressure on her head, and suddenly she was drowning. The darkness was nearly complete as she sunk into the depths. Black water sucked at her clothing, pressing against her chest that ached from lack of oxygen. She tried to move but her limbs wouldn’t obey. Tingling pin and needle sensations burned in every muscle as if her entire body had been asleep. Unresponsive, her arms and legs pointed like lodestones towards the faint icy glow above as the void pulled her in. Elsa opened her mouth to scream, water flooding her lungs, when something slammed into her from the side. Through the haze of pain she was vaguely aware of the water streaming past her as she was tugged upwards. They broke the surface with a splash as the Nokk pulled her into the arctic air, and the vision collapsed.

Elsa fell to the ice beneath her coughing the phantom water from her lungs. Red lines shot through the glacier as the fear kicked in, and the wind began to pick up in response. Eyes watering, breath still coming in harsh gasps, she glared at the Nokk who blinked passively back. He raised a hoof as if to take a step towards her and Elsa lost it.

“Get away from me!” Elsa screamed. She banged a fist onto the ice and spikes erupted in all directions pointed at the water spirit. 

The Nokk flicked his ears, and brushed up against her mind again, but this time Elsa wasn’t going to let him in. Gathering all the power she could, she imagined a wall between her and the other spirit. Elsa slammed it into place, and the Nokk jumped sideways as if he’d been struck.  He whinnied, but didn’t run off as Elsa hoped. Pawing at the ground, he called to her again.

“Go away!” Elsa threw up a physical wall between them, but through the ice she could see him standing there still. Shaking, she pulled her knees to her chest and just focused on breathing for a while. 

“What do you want?” She whispered to herself. The shock of the virtual drowning was beginning to wear off, but it had all seemed so real. Elsa flexed her fingers, the image of them unresponsive still fresh in her mind. She’d never felt anything like that before, or had she? Elsa furrowed her brow as she thought it over. When she’d first arrived at Ahtohallan, her need to know the truth about schism between Arendelle and the Northuldra had led her deep into the heart of the glacier. Too deep. She’d frozen over as she learned what her grandfather had done, barely managing to get the message to Anna before the ice took her completely. 

Elsa sat back on her heels.  _ But what happened after that? _ The next thing she vividly recalled was riding the Nokk across the massive tidal wave of flood water headed for Arendelle. But that couldn’t be it. Something was definitely missing, because she’d frozen in Ahtohallan, and the Nokk hadn’t been anywhere near her. Elsa rubbed a hand across her temples, as hard as she tried she couldn’t remember the moment she unfroze. 

The Nokk whinnied again from beyond the ice wall. Elsa stared at him as the puzzle pieces began to click into place.  _ Could it have all been real? The dead limbs would make a lot of sense if I’d just been frozen. _ The red lines receded from the ice around her, and she slowly rose to her feet.

“Are you trying to tell me not to go too far this time? Was that what this was all about?” She asked the Nokk. 

The water spirit nickered softly and nudged the ice wall between them with his head.

Elsa let out an exasperated breath. “There are easier ways to tell someone to be careful then to make them relive near-death experiences you know.”

The Nokk hung his head. Gazing up at her through his lashes, the spirit gave her the horse equivalent of puppy-dog eyes. He looked so much like Sven in that moment that Elsa softened despite herself, but she didn’t feel like letting the other spirit off the hook just yet.

Elsa rolled her own. “I’m not going to say I'm not mad. I understand why you did it, but that doesn’t make it okay. Never do that again, not to me, not to anyone. Do you hear me?” She reprimanded. 

The Nokk nodded vigorously, the first semi-human response she’d seen from the water spirit. It was frankly a little disconcerting, but he seemed sincere. Waving her hands, Elsa melted the ice spears and the physical wall between them, returning the glacier to its normal smooth exterior. With the barrier gone, the Nokk stepped cautiously towards Elsa and gently nudged her head with his nose. Elsa felt his powers brush against hers with the motion, whispering against the mental block she’d put up between them.

“You promise to be good?” 

He nodded again. Tentatively, Elsa let the walls around her mind crumble. The Nokk’s apology crept over her like water seeping through sand, unobtrusive and gentle, the complete opposite of the interaction they’d had before. Elsa gave spirit a lopsided smile. Still shaking a little from adrenaline, she laid a hand against his cheek. 

“Thank you for saving me back then.”

The Nokk made a happy little sound reminiscent of a stream bubbling over rocks, and headbutted her shoulder affectionately. Grinning wider now, Elsa gave the spirit a push back towards the Dark Sea. 

“Now get out of here before I change my mind!”

The Nokk gave her a final headbutt and cantered off towards the waves. Planting his back hooves firmly in the sand, he leapt into the water with all the grace of a diving swan; disappearing with barely a ripple to mark his passage. And just like that, Elsa was alone on the shores of Ahtohallan. 

A breeze off the sea tossed her hair into her face as she turned towards the glacier’s entrance. The rounded tunnel glowed softly with pinks, blues, and a slight greenish tint in the afternoon sun, while the ice smoothed by countless seasons of meltwater tossed rainbows like glass. It was beautiful, it was inviting, it was the place she felt most at home, and it was dangerous. The shadows beyond the light seemed darker today after the Nokk’s vision. Standing at the threshold, Elsa found herself reluctant to take that first step inside. She’d been here after that fateful day, several times in fact. But then the memories hadn’t been so fresh. 

Elsa looked at her hands uncovered in delicate traceries of frost, the fingers pale pink instead of blue. Clenching them into fists, she squared her shoulders.

“For Anna.”

And she stepped into the dark.

__________________________________________________________________

Ahtohallan was ancient. The ice thick with more years than even Elsa could sense. Whether magic or nature had shaped them she wasn’t sure, but the glacier was riddled with as many tunnels as there were memories trapped in the walls. In the past month Elsa had done her best to map out several of the passages. Some led to large cavernous rooms that could house an entire Arendellian village inside, while others ended abruptly in solid walls or treacherous drops. For someone without the ability to traverse ice as confidently as stone, the glacier would be a friction-less deathtrap. But that wasn’t the danger that dragged on Elsa’s mind as she pressed towards Ahtohallan’s heart. 

Running a hand along the walls, Elsa sang softly to herself. “ _ Dive down deep into her sound, but not too far or you’ll be drowned.”  _

The warning her mother had given. That the trolls had mentioned. That Anna had cautioned her against. All the voices she’d pretty much ignored in her quest to find the truth. Elsa shuddered again as she remembered the ice creeping through her bones, the deep cold even her magic couldn’t hold at bay. No, this time, this time she’d be cautious. This time she wouldn’t go too far.

Reaching the antichamber, Elsa strode down the long room with more courage than she felt. As she passed the first couple of obelisk shaped pillars that lined the walls, she cast her magic over her clothing. Her blue leggings did not change, but with every silent barefoot step the rest of her outfit morphed into what Anna had dubbed Elsa’s “spirit dress.” The closefitting blue tunic she’d been wearing furled out until it brushed the ground, the edges fading into a delicate fringe pattern. Lacy ice crystals bloomed along the neckline as the whole outfit faded to white, while tiny diamonds of frost carved with each of the four elemental symbols dotted her torso. With a final flick of her fingers a diaphanous split train unfurled from the dress’ shoulders; billowing in Elsa’s wake as she made her way into the heart of the glacier. 

The Hall of Memories was cavernous. So large that Elsa could barely make out the edges despite the warm glow that sprang from the floor under her feet. Magic literally hummed from the ice around her, and Elsa felt its welcome like a warm hug. 

_ Which is, ironic, in every sense of the word. _ She thought to herself as Ahtohallan’s walls lit unprompted with thousands of fractured images. A quick glance showed her Arendelle, her childhood, and a Northuldra camp full of people she did not know working under clear skies. Interesting, but not what she had come for. Pulling enough of the ambient magic into her grasp to get the glacier’s attention, Elsa held onto the power until she felt, rather than saw, the images dim. 

“I want to see Anna. The most recent memories you hold.” She instructed and set the magic free. 

The light in the walls darkened, and a great cloud of snow rose from the floor. It circled Elsa, growing in size and power until she couldn’t see her hand in front of her face. Then as quickly as it arose, it vanished with a snap, revealing a veritable gallery of moving snow sculptures. And like the ones she’d been making unconsciously this morning, every single one was a memory of her sister. 

Careful not to disturb any of the figures, Elsa wove among them looking for the most recent. Echoes of a thousand conversations filled the room as the sculptures began to play out their scenes, the movement and noise adding to the chaos. If there was one thing she learned from the last time besides the dangers of venturing too far, it was that Ahtohallan had a tendency to mix the past together. Finding the right Annas was going to be a challenge. On her right, two little girls giggled behind a door as a perplexed nanny found her feet iced to the hallway. To her left a fully grown Anna stood with hands on her hips before a reindeer covered in, yes, that looked like frosting. Even rendered in snow it was possible to make out the sprinkles dotting Sven’s nose, and the candle impaled on one of his antlers. Elsa raised an eyebrow,  _ do I even want to know?  _

As fascinating as the story behind that particular incident must have been, it wasn’t what she’d come to see. Brushing past Sven, Elsa kept looking. Anna eating ice cream with Kristoff, cute, but not helpful. A boat ride in the Fjord. The Nokk and Kjekk racing in the royal riding ring. Game night two Fridays ago complete with a frozen Elsa attempting to reach around her sister for the next red circle on the colored torture mat Olaf had somehow dreamed up. 

That last one made her wince as the icy version of herself stretched a little too far. Rubbing her shoulder in sympathy, Elsa spotted something out of the corner of her eye. Nestled between two younger versions of Anna was a sculpture of her sister at Elsa’s old desk. Darker colored frost was smeared across this Anna’s forehead to settle in worry lines between her brows, as her quill darted across the reams of paper before her. Anna’s shoulders were hunched and her mouth was set in a slight frown; a posture so at odds with her normal exuberance that Elsa’s heart clenched at the sight.

“Anna…” Elsa reached out towards the frosty apparition, only to see another several feet away. This Anna was in one of the council meetings, and judging from the way the Treasury Minister’s fist was slammed onto the table, things had gotten a little heated. Elsa stepped closer to hear what he was saying.

“Queen Anna, with all due respect the treasury cannot handle a celebration of such magnitude! Our coffers are already low enough as it is due to the earthquake relief fund you put into place last month!” The Minister growled. 

“Well I couldn’t let people live in houses with cracked foundations now could I?” Anna shot back. “We have a duty to protect Arendelle, and I will not have someone crushed in their own home when we could prevent it!”

The Treasury Minister threw up his hands, “Then cut back on the summit, because if you don’t fallen buildings won’t mean much when our people starve! Without Weselton’s grain and your sister’s magic to support our ice exports, our economy rests on the proverbial razor’s edge.” The Harbor Master, and several trade ministers nodded in agreement and then froze as the snow sculptures reset.

Elsa felt ice crackle up her arms as she watched the council gang up on her sister. The Treasury Minister had a point about the coffers being lower than normal, but Arendelle was nowhere near as close to financial ruin as he made it sound. She had made sure of that. Even with the added costs of building repairs and the summit, the country would pull through the winter just fine. That is, unless someone had been fiddling with the numbers. It wasn’t the first time the treasury had reported suspicious findings. About a week after Elsa herself had been crowned, the Treasury Minister had made some fuss about missing taxes. She had gone through the ledgers herself and when the numbers miraculously reappeared, he’d never said a word about again. Elsa’s anger built, and the scene before her splintered apart. 

_ So help me, if that man is trying to steal from the crown I will freeze his assets so fast his head will spin. I knew I should have dismissed him! _

Elsa turned her back on the crumbled statue, and found herself face to face with Hans. She let out a screech and lept back, hands ready to crush that monstrous face into oblivion, before she realized that something was off. It looked like Hans: same height, same body shape, same sideburns. But there were laugh lines around the eyes where Hans’ had been cold, and man’s hair was pulled back into a neat tail at the nape of his neck instead of cut short. 

“Welcome to Arendelle your highness, your majesty.” A snowy Kai bowed to the Hans double and the mountain of a man standing at his side whom Elsa had completely missed in her shock. Dressed in a uniform that had more metals pinned to it than ice crystals on Elsa’s gown, the second man looked about as friendly as a rock. A normal rock, not a rock troll that is. His features appeared locked in a permanent scowl, and his hand never left his sword as Kai spoke. From the crown upon his brow, and the emblems in the uniform’s lapels, it appeared that the King of the Southern Isles had decided to attend the summit personally. 

“Oh Anna, what are you doing?” Elsa whispered. The three figures began moving and she trailed behind wringing her hands with worry. 

Kai was saying something about the village’s architecture, but Elsa wasn’t listening as she wracked her brain for any information she’d heard about Hans’ father. He had thirteen sons of course, from multiple marriages, and Hans’ mother was the current Queen. The Isles themselves were a fairly prosperous nation whose main exports were volcanic rock, metal, and oddly enough, finely bred horses. Several of the current residents of the Arendelle stables had in fact come from Southern Isle stock, and before the whole Hans debacle the Stable Master had been planning on importing a matched pair to pull the royal carriage. 

Elsa tugged at a non-existent glove. Unfortunately metal and horses were also the same resources that allowed the Island nation to wage its many wars. In the three years she had ruled, the Southern Isles had been at peace a single month. When Elsa learned about this particularly bloody fact, she had been shocked that no declaration of war followed Hans’ return. But then again, who in their right mind would attack a kingdom ruled by the Snow Queen? A kingdom ruled by her non-magical sister on the other hand? That was a whole other situation.

“I trust the weather was pleasant for your journey?” Kai asked politely, interrupting Elsa’s swirling thoughts.

The King snorted, “and I expect it will stay that way now that Queen Elsa is gone.”

Both Kai and the prince appeared to be lost for words, and Elsa gaped along with them at his bluntness. 

“I haven’t heard much about this new Queen. Anna, was it? Tell me about her.” The King commanded. 

Kai opened his mouth to respond and all three figures vanished into a very familiar passage in the cavern’s wall. Elsa skidded to a halt in the doorway as the group began their descent, her breath fogging suddenly in the air. Every fiber of her body screamed to go after them, to learn what they were saying about Anna, but she’d made a promise, and this time she was going to keep it. Carefully stepping back into the Hall of Memories, Elsa sealed the portal with the thickest ice she could conjure and dismissed all of the statues with a gesture. 

It was time to go back. 


	5. Anna

Anna stood in the chamber just off the main dining room practically vibrating with nerves. Scratch that, she WAS vibrating with nerves. Shifting from one uncomfortable high heeled shoe to the other, Anna repositioned the crown on her head for what must have been the hundredth time since Kai ushered her in to wait. Arendelle tradition dictated that the reigning monarch be seated last during formal events. A practice that Anna was certain had been put into place by an ancestor with a flair for the dramatic. The monarch’s arrival would always signal the official beginning of whatever event was taking place, but also ensured that said arrival was viewed by every person in attendance.

Regardless of the reasons behind the practice, it resulted in a great deal of waiting. Obviously tired of standing around like a vagrant in the castle hallways, some earlier monarch had equipped both the great hall and the main dining room with waiting rooms. The one Anna found herself in was nothing to complain about. The door leading into the dining room and the one that faced the hall were both decorated with delicate rosemaling. Green wallpaper with a crocus pattern in gold hung between decoratively carved wood accents on the walls. There was even a small fireplace on one end so that the room was cozy even in the coldest of winters, complete with a small table and fainting couch in case the royal occupants wished to relax while their guests arrived. 

Anna was about three minutes away from using that couch as the name suggested. Though she’d felt completely confident when meeting with the council earlier, doubt was beginning to creep in now that the start of the summit was moments away. Anna was an extroverted person. She was happiest when she was busy, preferably surrounded by people, and as a result the morning had practically flown by. But in her enthusiasm Anna had actually finished all the necessary preparations early: leaving her with time on her hands and nothing to do.

Waiting was one thing. Waiting alone was something else. Kristoff was getting changed after finishing up with the last of the guest rooms, and Olaf and Sven were not even coming to dinner. Sven, because he was a reindeer. Olaf on the other hand was banished to the royal suite because last time he’d attended a formal meal with guests the princess of Andalasia had fainted. Normally that wouldn’t have been his fault. Being a sentient snowman is often enough to provoke such a reaction from some people. In this particular case though, Olaf had decided to eat the soup course and melted a giant hole in the back of his head. Sentient, partially melted snowman, was as both Anna and Kristoff agreed too much to expect anyone to handle. So for tonight, he and Sven were going to enjoy their own private banquet in Olaf’s room. Meaning that Anna was left alone with half an hour to kill and nothing but her spiraling thoughts to keep her company.

Pacing back and forth in front of the fireplace, Anna ran through the night’s schedule once more as serving carts clattered and people bustled in the hall.

“Kai will make the announcement, I’ll walk in, the dining room will stand and remain standing till I take my seat at the head of the table. The first course will be served, I take a bite of whatever it is, and then the dinner will begin. Gerda has the whole thing on a timer after that. All that’s left is to make small talk without insulting anyone too badly. No problem. I can do that.” Anna muttered to herself. 

Unfortunately her brain wasn’t getting the positive message, because it chose right then to remind her of what the castle dubbed “the DunBroch incident.” It happened during the last year of Elsa’s reign. Elsa of course, wasn’t involved in what happened. Unless you count her not being present as direct cause of the problems that followed like Anna did, because in that case, she was very much involved. Elsa had been called away to the North Mountain in order to make some repairs on the ice castle. Apparently several hundred snowgies with no impulse control and extra time on their stubby feet were about as destructive as an avalanche. Oaken had reported finding a couple melting in his sauna the day before, so Elsa had promised to make sure none of the others had gotten loose to terrorize the countryside. 

_ “You are sure that you will be fine while I’m gone?” Elsa asked. _

_ Anna nodded empathetically and practically pushed her older sister out the castle door. “Check on Olaf every four hours, sign for the shipment of iron, and greet the DunBroch delegation when they arrive. I had the kitchen whip up one of their traditional desserts for after dinner, and I even got a present for the king. You go deal with your magical sneeze monsters, I’ve got it covered.” _

She didn’t have it covered. 

The iced sweet buns the kitchen made for dessert were filled with lingonberry jam, which is delicious, but also terribly difficult to get out of clothing. The three visiting princes made the dining room look like a murder scene with themselves as the victims in a matter of seconds. The DunBroch queen had apologized profusely for their behavior. Anna, feeling bad because the jam had been her idea, told her not to worry about it, and had given her the gift for her husband to smooth things over. Unfortunately, Anna had neglected to investigate whether or not the king had all his feet. In hindsight, shoes were not the best gift. 

So the queen left feeling both humiliated and insulted, and the castle servants spent days afterward trying to remove stains from the tapestries. Not Anna’s brightest moment. But that all happened a year ago, and she’d grown a ton since then hadn’t she?

“Come on Anna, you got this. It’s just a dinner. A fancy dinner, with really important people.” She reasoned. “You did your homework this time. You know every single person in that room: what they like, what they don’t, how their kingdoms operate. There is nothing to worry about.”

The map of the southern isles flashed in her mind’s eye, and Anna tried to push the thought down. “No Hans this time, just his dad. Who may be mean, but at least he doesn’t want to murder you. Which is better than DEFINITELY wanting to murder you like his son, but it’s all good. You’re fine. You’re in your own castle, surrounded by witnesses, which didn’t stop Hans, but that’s okay, because this time you have Kristoff and Olaf, and General Mattias has guards all over the place.” Anna reasoned. “I am fine. Everything will be fine. This is fine.”

A gentle knock sounded on the door leading into the hallway and Anna yelped. 

“Anna?” 

Anna raced over to the door and yanked it open just as Kristoff raised his hand to knock again. He’d traded the reindeer fur covered sweater for a deep blue jacket with gold buttons, and the work boots from that morning had been replaced by slick black dress shoes. Someone had tried to tame his hair into a semblance of order, but when he smiled at Anna she noticed a couple of strands still sticking up stubbornly in the back. 

“You doing okay in here Firebrand? Kai thought you might need some company.” Kristoff grinned, “he mentioned something about stopping you from climbing the walls?”

“You do something one time and no one ever lets you forget it.” Anna tugged Kristoff over the threshold and shut the door behind him. “Aren’t you supposed to be in the dining room right now?”

Kristoff plunked down on the fainting couch and ran a hand through his hair, leaving a small forest of spikes in his wake. “Well yes, but there is plenty of time. Dinner isn’t supposed to begin until around seven, and the Eldoran delegation arrived about an hour ago. Even if they get the ship unpacked it’s still going to take a while for everyone to get dressed if my experience is anything to go by.” Kristoff looked at his own outfit in obvious distaste.

Anna rolled her eyes. “Try putting on a corset.” Pacing the length of the room, she glanced at the clock over the mantelpiece. “I’m going to have to get someone to fix that clock, it hasn't moved at all!”

Kristoff glanced at the clock whose second hand was happily ticking away, and back to his fiancee pacing the room. “You sure you’re okay?”

“I’m doing great, so excited for the party, can’t wait to meet everyone!” Anna babbled, “I heard that all the ambassadors arrived safely, the kitchen has a feast all ready to go, and man these shoes hurt! I didn’t want to wear them at first, but Gerda said that they looked perfect with this dress, so I caved, but now I may be second guessing that.” She tugged at the neckline of her formal gown, and fanned herself with one hand. “Does it feel a little warm in here to you?”

“Anna…”

“Okay fine!” Anna threw up her hands, “I may be a tiny, itty bitty bit stressed.” She flopped down on the couch beside Kristoff with a groan. He eased an arm around her shoulders and was surprised at how tense they felt. 

“You were just telling me how confident you were about everything this morning. Did something happen during your meeting?” Kristoff asked.

“No, the meeting was old news. Like you said, it was more for the council’s peace of mind.” She leaned into his arm and pinched the bridge of her nose in a gesture so reminiscent of her sister that Kristoff found himself reflexively checking the floor for ice. “It’s the waiting.”

“The waiting?”

“Yes, the waiting! Sitting in this room watching the hours tick by…”

“You’ve been here for ten minutes.” Kristoff pointed out.

“Well it feels like hours, but that’s not the point.” Anna insisted, “the point is I could be doing something useful like introducing myself all the ambassadors right now, but instead I’m stuck here staring at a closed door.”

“Isn’t that why you’re holding the dinner in the first place though? I mean, to introduce yourself?”

Anna gave him a look. “Stop being so logical when I’m trying to feel sorry for myself.”

Kristoff grinned. “Pretty sure I promised Elsa to be the voice of reason when she’s gone, and I promised you that I’d do my best to make you smile. I am…” He paused, searching for the right word, “contractually obligated to interrupt pity parties.”

“Contractually obligated?” Anna’s stern expression wavered as she tried not to grin. 

Since their engagement Kristoff had been undergoing crash courses in political etiquette, economics, mathematics, literature, and foreign languages. As the future Prince Consort there was a whole breadth of things he needed to learn that Elsa and Anna had grown up knowing. From everything as mundane as what fork to use for salads, to the current trade value for wool, Kristoff’s new role required that he learn it all. He grumbled about the lessons on a daily basis, but Anna suspected it was all for show. She’d caught him practicing bows with Sven last week, and two nights ago he had muttered French in his sleep. She found it adorable how hard he tried to keep her from noticing just how much he cared about doing well, so Anna did her best to uphold her end of the charade.

“I thought your legal tutor bored you to tears?”

“He does, got a voice that would put a hypnotist to shame. But I've been paying attention don’t act so surprised!” Kristoff clapped his free hand over his chest as if she’d struck him a fatal blow, “You wound me my Queen with your lack of faith!”

“If you didn’t tell me how often you fall asleep during lectures, then I wouldn’t be so surprised.” Anna retorted. 

Kristoff made an indignant  _ harumph  _ and Anna giggled. Snuggling into his side, she tugged his arm closer. The pair sat in companionable silence for a moment watching the fire crackle in the hearth. 

A log popped sending a shower of sparks up the chimney. In the quiet that followed, Anna’s ears caught the sound of faint chatter through the dining room wall as the guest began to trickle in. 

“Hey Kristoff?” Anna asked.

“Hmmm?”

“What time is it?”

Kristoff rolled his eyes pretty sure he knew where this was heading, but checked the clock anyway. “6:45.”

“That can’t be right.”

“No it is.” Kristoff reached into his jacket and pulled out the pocket watch she’d given him for his birthday last year. Flipping open the reindeer engraved cover, he held it up for her to see. The face clearly read 6:45. “Still fifteen minutes to go.”

“Arrrugg! That is it! I’m going in, tradition or not, I can’t wait any longer!” Anna leapt off the couch to open the dining room door and Kristoff grabbed her sleeve. He did say anything. He didn’t have to. Anna sat back down with a huff.

“Killjoy.”

“Voice of reason, remember?”

Anna crossed her arms and stuck out her chin stubbornly. “You know I don’t have that kind of patience. It is unreasonable to keep me here.” Laughter echoed through the walls, and Anna’s palms broke into a cold sweat. “I feel useless. What if they’re laughing at me? Or worse, at Arendelle? I can’t do anything about it!”

“You might not be able to, but I can.” Kristoff said. “I can go be your eyes and ears until the party starts. I know it’s not the same as being there yourself, but if it’ll help you relax I’ll leave right now.”

“You would?” Anna tackled Kristoff with a hug. “Not that I  _ want  _ you to leave of course, but I am pretty sure I’m not going to last another minute if I don’t know what’s going on.”

Kristoff chuckled. “You just wait for Kai to announce you; I'll do my best to entertain the diplomats until then. Shouldn’t be that hard. The past three years gave me plenty of wild stories to tell.”

Anna raised an eyebrow. “What exactly do you mean by that, mister?”

“And that’s my cue to leave.” Kristoff dashed for the hallway door, ducking the pillow Anna chucked at his head before slamming it shut behind him. Kristoff wouldn’t say anything embarrassing about Anna no matter how much he teased about having “wild stories,” she knew that. But as the murmurs from the dining room grew louder she felt the nerves creeping back in. Walking over to the dining room door, she reached out a hand and brushed her fingers over the painted surface. 

“Doors. Why is it always doors?” Anna whispered. 

Turning back towards the couch, she took half a step when a finger snagged on something that didn’t feel like wood. Spinning around, Anna studied the door’s surface with a critical eye. Hidden among the swirling lines and flowers there was a small metal peephole. The edges of the hole were painted to disguise the different material, and it was set into the design so that it formed the center of one of the flowers as an additional bit of camouflage. 

Anna grinned,  _ apparently I’m not the only one in my family whose curiosity got the best of them.  _ Sweeping her bangs out of the way, she peered into the dining room.

The large table was nearly full at this point. There were a couple of empty chairs near the far end, but all of the most important guests were already seated. On the right of Anna’s chair at the head of the table, Kristoff was laughing with the bronze-skinned Queen on sitting beside him. Queen Marisol said something back that caused Kristoff’s shoulders to shake with mirth, and Anna felt a weight lift from her own. 

The Eldoran monarch was one of her favorite people. Ever since they’d chased a rumor about a kingdom locked in an eternal summer to her shores, Arendelle and Eldora had struck up a lively partnership. Eldora was so far south that much of the land was covered in deserts. Ice was a rarity known only to the coastal cities, and even then it was reserved for the richest residents. No block, no matter how large, could make a journey across the sea and then pass through the desert to the capital without melting completely. Or at least that was true until Elsa came along. After enchanting all of the Arendelle merchant ships with frozen holds, ice no longer melted on sea voyages. And when they docked, similarly treated carts could carry the blocks safely into the harshest weather without fear. 

This trade in ice gained the people of Arendelle a staunch ally as well as spices, textiles, and all the sand their glass blowers could ever want. Queen Marisol was the first person notified when Elsa abdicated, and she had welcomed Anna’s ascent to the throne with open arms: especially once Elsa assured her that it would in no way affect the ice shipments. Having her here was one more person on Anna’s side. Which she really might need, because the man sitting across from Kristoff and Queen Marisol made her relief evaporate like water under an Eldoran sun.

To the left of Anna’s chair sat the King of the Southern Isles. His hair was light auburn in color shot through with grey at the temples, and he wore it cut close to the scalp. Instead of the mutton chops a particular son of his preferred, the King had a full beard that was precisely trimmed to the hard angles of his face. In fact, everything about the way he presented himself was precise. The King’s outfit was some sort of uniform with about a billion medals gleaming on his massive chest. Each medal was pinned at a right angle, and there wasn’t a crease to be found anywhere on his jacket. Arms like logs were crossed over those medals as he regarded the laughing pair across the table with cold blue eyes. As skeptical as Anna was about Olaf’s face freezing old-wives’ tale, she had to admit that King Halstein  Westergaard could serve as a supporting piece of evidence. The frown lines on his cheeks were so deeply engraved that Anna found it impossible to imagine him ever smiling. 

King Halstein turned ever so slightly to his left as he listened to something, and then settled back in his chair giving Anna her first glimpse of the person seated beside him. Her heart nearly stopped. At first she thought it was Hans. The prince looked so much like him that from a distance they could have been mistaken for twins. Once she managed to catch her breath though, Anna began to pick up on the subtle differences. This prince wore his hair in a loose tail that draped past the lapels of his uniform, and his nose was a bit differently shaped. But what really set him apart was the half bemused, half exasperated expression on his face as he whispered animatedly at his father. As cold as the King seemed, as manipulative as Hans had been, this prince appeared to be the complete opposite of both. When his father muttered something back, Anna watched every emotion the prince felt flicker across his face. This was someone even she could read, and Anna had been lovingly told on several occasions by her family that she needed to work on her observation skills. 

_ If King Halstein seems difficult to reach, maybe the way to his ear is through his son.  _ Anna observed as the prince leaned across the table to start up a conversation with Kristoff.  _ He at least seems open to some kind of discussion. _

“Queen Anna.” Kai called from over her shoulder. 

Anna jumped and whirled around a bit too hastily, nearly face-planting on the wooden floor as one of her heels caught the hem of her dress. Righting herself, she clasped her hands behind her back, straightened her spine, and regarded the amused chamberlain with her most regal expression. 

“Yes, Kai?”

“We are ready for you, Your Majesty.” Kai reached around Anna for the doorknob, and she blushed and stepped out of the way. He flashed her a knowing smile. “I see you discovered one of the castle’s secrets today.”

“I don’t have the faintest clue what you mean.” Anna said, channeling Elsa’s icy formal tone at its best. 

“Well, if you had, I would have congratulated you on a good find, and cautioned you to keep an eye out for others. This is an old place with many secrets. Some of them, like the one you did not see today may prove useful to your new role. Others…” He paused, “others are best left buried.”

Anna opened her mouth at ask what he meant by that, but Kai was already gone. From the dining room his voice boomed against the lofted ceilings.

“Announcing Her Royal Majesty, QUEEN ANNA OF ARENDELLE!”

“Showtime.” Anna muttered to herself, and stepped through the door.


	6. Anna

The moment Anna entered the whole dining room bowed. She was expecting it, but seeing the rows of bent heads made the reality of her situation sink in. She’d been bowed to before of course, it wasn’t that. The villagers and the castle staff all greeted her with the same respect when they met her. The curtises and bows were a bit lower now, but that was all that had changed from when she was simply a princess. Here in the dining room were some of the most important people in their own countries: paying respect to her. Anna. The second born. The one who’d often spent her afternoons eating sandwiches on the castle roof while Elsa met with tutor after tutor. Anna felt her mouth go dry. 

Opting for what she hoped came across as a regal nod, Anna made her way over to her chair with slow measured steps to avoid tripping again. One of the servants pulled it out for her, and Anna sunk into the seat with a rustle of fabric that seemed overly loud in the silent room. The minute her butt hit the cushion, fifty other chairs scraped back and the guests sat as one. All eyes turned towards the head of the table. Anna restrained the urge to nervously wave at everyone to diffuse the tension. 

_ Did Elsa make a speech at this point? Do I need to make one right now? Nobody mentioned anything about a speech, but they certainly look like they are waiting on me to do something.  _ Anna’s mind did somersaults and her mouth was a desert. She couldn’t have made a sound even if she wanted to. 

There was a clink in front of her, and Anna looked down. A small spoon filled with some sort of cream sauce topped with caviar rested on a plate in front of her. Similar sounds echoed down the table as the first course was served to the rest of the diners, who continued to stare at Anna expectantly. 

_ Oh right.  _

Anna lifted the spoon as if she was making a toast and downed the whole thing in a single bite. Formalities over, the tension in the room vanished as if it had never been there at all. Chatter filled the space as conversations resumed, accompanied by the clatter of dishes and silverwares as the soup course was brought out. A hand squeezed Anna’s leg under the table, and she startled at the touch nearly upending her bowl into her lap.

“Sorry.” Kristoff smiled apologetically, but didn’t remove his hand. “You did great!” He whispered.

“You really think so?” Anna whispered back. “I didn’t look too nervous or anything?”

“Nope. Poised, queenly, and super proper. You even would have fooled me if we hadn’t talked earlier.”

Anna breathed a sigh of relief. “Good, cause I was pretty sure I was visibly radiating stress at one point.”

“Only your sister does that. Ow!” Kristoff exclaimed as she pinched his arm. “Hey, it’s true!”

Anna rolled her eyes. “Regardless, I’m just glad that’s over and done with. Now we can cut right to the fun part.”

“Which is?”

“Meeting everyone, showing off the kingdom, making friends; all the socializing!”

“So, the part you’re good at? Ow!” Kristoff yelped a bit louder when she kicked his leg this time, and the other occupants of their end of the table look up curiously from their soup. Kristoff rubbed his injured shin with a particularly wounded expression, and Queen Marisol hid a laugh behind one hand.

“Something you’d like to share with the group, Kristoff?” Marisol asked.

“Queen Marisol, have you met my lovely wife-to-be Queen Anna? She’s smart, talented, and kicks like a…” Kristoff wisely shut his mouth at Anna’s glare. “She’s great.”

“I have had the pleasure, yes. Though I have not been able to congratulate her on her new status.” Her dark eyes laughing, Marisol turned to Anna. “Being Queen suits you. As I told your sister in our letters, I have the utmost confidence that you will carry the crown with wisdom and love. This summit was a wonderful idea. Since docking this afternoon I forged informal trade agreements with two other nations, caught up with a cousin I hadn’t seen in years, and Kristoff’s jokes made me laugh so hard I choked. I cannot wait to see what you have planned for the rest of the week. While I can only speak for Eldora, I know that we look forward to working with you for years to come. Arendelle couldn’t be in better hands.”

Anna felt tears spring to her eyes at the other Queen’s kind words. She leaned forward to tell Marisol exactly how much that meant to hear, when a snort came from her left. With the nerves she’d felt upon her announcement and the conversation that followed, Anna had almost forgotten the King of the Southern Isles. Which at the moment seemed pretty unbelievable considering the frowning mountain beside her. The lines in King Halstein’s face had deepened since she spotted him through the peephole: a feat which Anna hadn’t even thought possible. He snorted again, louder this time. 

“King Halstein  Westergaard of the Southern Isles, I don’t believe we’ve officially met.” Anna reached out her hand to the king. “As Queen, let me be one of the first to welcome you to Arendelle.” 

As her mother used to say, you can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. Why someone would want to catch flies, Anna hadn’t a clue. But if a bit of sweetness could smooth things over with the king, then Anna was going to be cavity inducing.

“I hope your rooms were too your liking?”

King Halstein stared at her offered hand and didn’t take it, crushing any hope she entertained of solving whatever this was with diplomacy. 

“I’ve had better.” The king’s voice was smooth, but his words were barbed. “Enough with the pleasantries. We are all adults here and I do not take kindly to being coddled.” 

The prince by his side looked as if he wanted to melt into the floor at his father’s words. A feeling Anna could certainly relate to as the king plowed ahead, heedless of the audience they were attracting as other guests paused their own conversations to watch the drama unfold.

“You letter was fairly cryptic,  _ Queen Anna _ , about the reasons for your sister’s abdication. Since you chose not to detail them before, I can only assume that you planned to enlighten us now?” King Halstein made a show of looking around the room. “Where is the former Queen anyway? I did not see her among the guests this evening. I do hope that she is feeling well, I would hate to have another ‘incident’ like the one that happened three years ago.”

Nearly everyone within earshot was openly listening now. It was true that Anna’s coronation announcements had been vague about Elsa’s situation. How to explain her sister’s new role as a magical spirit in an enchanted forest to people who barely even believed the stories about Elsa’s powers in the first place had escaped Anna. 

Instead, Anna had opted for an abridged version of the truth; that Elsa had come to the realization that she was needed elsewhere and had left Arendelle to her sister. It wasn’t a lie, not by a longshot. Elsa herself had uttered the same if not in those exact words. But it certainly wasn’t the whole story either, and clearly people had noticed.

Anna squirmed in her seat as the entire dining room looked at her expectantly once again, only this time she didn’t have a script to follow. Part of her burned at King Halstein’s insinuation that her sister was a walking magical time bomb. She wanted to rail at him for that; tell him just how in control Elsa was, and give him a list of all the horrible things her sister could have done to the Southern Isles if she’d wanted. The logical part of Anna’s brain held her back from that particular course of action. For those who did believe in Elsa’s magic and had heard the story of her coronation day, it was not unreasonable for them to think that she’d perhaps lost control once again. Elsa’s abdication was the reason, if a bit indirectly, for the gathering tonight, and it was something she’d known she would have to address at some point. Anna had just hoped that it would have been on a more informal basis.

“Ice witch got your tongue,  _ Queen Anna _ ?” King Halstein sneared.

Something in Anna snapped. Her world filtered through a red haze of fury. The condescension she could take, but direct insults against her family? That was where she drew the line. He wanted to make this public? Well, fine. She could make it public.

Kristof was saying something, but his words sounded a million leagues away as Anna smoothed the skirt of her dress and stood up. Plastering a smile on her face that showed far too many teeth, Anna cleared her throat. It was unnecessary as everyone was already paying attention, but to Anna’s satisfaction the noise caused several people to jump guilty. Smiling wider, Anna started speaking. There wasn’t a plan; Anna had never been the strategic one in the family anyway. She just let the words roll off her tongue as they formed; colored by anger and flavored with years of mandatory oration lessons.

“Fellow Queens, Kings, and honored guests, King Halstein has graciously brought it to my attention that some among you may be wondering about my sister’s absence from this gathering.” Anna projected her voice so that even the guards by the doors could listen to what she was about to say. “I thank you all for your concern, but you may put your fears at rest. My sister is in perfect health.”

A couple of people visibly relaxed at this. Anna wondered whether they had actually been concerned about her sister’s well-being or their own. She mentally filed away the names and faces for consideration at a later time. 

“We recently discovered that some relatives were still alive in the northernmost part of the kingdom. Naturally Elsa and I were both thrilled at the news. For so many years we thought that we were all that remained of our family after the tragic passing of our father and mother, King Agnarr and Queen Iduna.” Anna’s voice cracked on the last. Finding their ship in the Enchanted Forest had rubbed salt in a wound long scabbed over, and the emotion in her voice was raw. “We miss them to this day.”

Anna looked out over the table and found sympathy on the faces of nearly all the dignitaries. If there had been mixed feeling about her sister, there was no doubt that these people had loved her parents. With the mood in the room swinging towards her favor, Anna shoved her grief down and plowed ahead. 

“Our parents ruled wisely, but the weight of the secrets they held was great.”  _ Like our mother’s heritage, rock trolls, Elsa’s powers, and there is probably stuff we still haven’t discovered. _ Anna grumbled to herself.  _ If I had just one more day with them…  _ Honestly, Anna was equally torn between crying in her parent’s arms or tearing into them for the reasons behind her lonely childhood. 

Anna’s throat tightened, but her voice remained steady. “Once the castle gates closed, we lost contact with many of our allies: including our relatives. After spending some time in the north, Elsa and I both felt that Arendelle had neglected its duty to these lands and their people. The territory is so remote that for many years it has stood unguarded and its people were left without representation on our royal council. There was need of an ambassador and protector in the north, and Elsa was the best person for the job. She abdicated so that she could serve in this role while I remain in Arendelle to look after the kingdom.” 

A murmur broke out at this information and Anna paused to let her words sink in. She could tell that there were several guests who seemed to have questions, but all were too proper to ask them in such a public setting. King Halstein was not one of those people.

“And why exactly was the reigning Queen the best choice? Surely you could have chosen someone else for the job.” He pointed out. Emboldened by his declaration, several others nodded in agreement. “An ambassador with more experience, perhaps? With a contingent of soldiers to back them up?”

“I am glad you asked!” Anna exclaimed with an eagerness she didn’t have to force. This question she had been expecting after his first, and the answer flowed from her with ease. “There are two reason. First, to the leaders we met with in the north, Elsa is family. Her words will be treated with far more respect and trust than those of a simple ambassador. Because Arendelle wants to establish a relationship with these people after so many years, it was logical to send someone they’d actually have a reason to listen too.”  _ Her identity as a spirit certainly helps as well.  _ Anna’s mouth quirked up at the thought.

“But isn’t the backing of the crown enough?” King Halstein interrupted. “In the Southern Isles no citizen would dare to defy the will of their king.”

“That may be true under normal circumstances.” Anna conceded, “but the Northuldra as they are called, have governed themselves for so long that they no longer look to Arendelle for support. To make up for the mistakes of our ancestors, and to bridge the gulf that formed between our two peoples, we needed to make a monumental gesture of goodwill.”  _ Like freeing an Enchanted Forest from a thirty year curse. _

“If these Northuldra needed such reassurance, why weren’t you yourself chosen as ambassador, Queen Anna?” This question actually came from a woman seated at the very end of the table. Anna had to squint to make her out, but she was pretty sure that it was the ambassador of Freezenburg. 

“Good question Ambassador Karina! This is because of the second factor I mentioned: Elsa’s magic.” Anna proclaimed. Spirits might have been off the table, but her sister’s powers were common knowledge; if approached with skepticism by some. Even so, Elsa would never have spoken so blatantly about them in a formal setting. Anna had no such compunctions. Reveling in the shocked looks around her, Anna held up a hand and began ticking off the reasons on her fingers.

“She can’t get cold. She can travel even in the deepest snow without problems. Gorges and ravines aren't an issue because she can make bridges across them in seconds. And most importantly…” Anna looked directly at King Halstein as she said the last reason with relish. “Elsa is a one woman army. With all the might of winter at her fingertips, no soldiers we could send could ever protect the north as effectively as she can. Her powers are far from a liability as some have suggested. My sister is Arendelle’s greatest strength.”

Nobody said a word as Anna turned back to the gathered nobles. “King Halstein asked where my sister was this evening. As we speak, she works to repair our kingdom’s sundered halves with  _ every _ skill at her disposal. I sent her an invitation to our gathering, and if her task allows, I am sure that she will make every effort to join us.”

Anna reached down and picked up her wine glass from the table. Raising it in a toast, she met the eyes of every one of her guests. “Let us enjoy the company we are privileged to find ourselves with tonight, and let us honor those whose hard work make it possible for our kingdoms to flourish in our absence. To our people, to our homes, and to our families!”

“To family!” The room roared.

Anna sat back down with a flourish. Sipping delicately from her glass, she grinned at the twin looks of mingled pride and shock on faces of Queen Marisol and Kristoff beside her. Passing over the speechless king on her left, Anna looked instead at the prince by his side. 

“I don’t believe we have been introduced. Queen Anna, at your service.”

  
  


____________________________________________________________________

The rest of the night passed fairly uneventfully. Her speech effectively rendered King Halstein mute for the remainder of dinner. He ate the dishes put in front of him without a word, letting his son Prince Lars do the rest of the talking. Lars, as it turned out, was as personable as his father was gruff. He was the scholar of the  Westergaard family, and had been studying a number of subjects that interested Kristoff and Anna both. In particular, Lars loved the natural world. Apparently having devolved every book he could find on flora and fauna in the Southern Isles, he had come along with his father on this trip to see if Arendelle's libraries contained anything new. Anna couldn’t help thinking as the dessert plates were cleaned away that Olaf would have loved some of the facts that Lars rattled off.

_ “Did you know that the hottest pepper in the world is called the Dragon’s Breath, and that it can kill you if you eat too much of it? Oh, and that red-billed queleas are the most populous birds on Earth? They apparently fly in swarms that can raise a field of wheat down to the earth in seconds!”  _

The last one had seemed like nightmare fodder for Anna, but she’d dutifully memorized it for the curious snowman. As the guests trickled off in twos and threes to bed, Anna had invited Lars to have breakfast with the entire family in the morning, Olaf included. The prince had happily accepted, more than thrilled to be able to meet him in person. With a last bow, Prince Lars and King Halstein departed for their rooms, leaving Kristoff and Anna alone.

As they made their way down the hall, Kristoff pulled Anna into a hug. “I’m so proud of you!”

“For what?” She asked.

“‘For what,’ she asks!” Kristoff rolled his eyes to the ceiling in mock disbelief. “For the way you handled yourself out there tonight of course! I’ll be reliving that speech of yours in my dreams!” Kristoff shook his head. “It was a work of art. I don’t think the King of the Southern Isles would dare say another word against your reign after that.”

“You really think so? Honestly I don’t remember a lot of what came out of my mouth right then. I was angry, and I blanked, and then part of me just thought ‘what would Elsa say?’ and I said it.” Anna shrugged. “Though I’m pretty sure she would have left her magic out of it.”

Kristoff spun her around by the shoulders outside their door. “Earlier you said that Elsa was Arendelle’s greatest strength. Well, Elsa doesn’t get any credit for tonight, Firebrand.” He insisted. “This day was a success because of you. You, Anna, and no one else. Those questions that King Halstein asked would have thrown even a seasoned monarch for a loop. You made Arendelle proud tonight: you made your family proud. I have never been more in love with anyone in my entire life.”

Anna blushed under his heated gaze. Fumbling for the doorknob, she opened the bedroom door and tugged her fiance inside. They didn’t talk much for the rest of the night.

__________________________________________________________________

BANG

Anna jolted from a dead sleep. Moonlight filtered through the curtains at an angle that indicated dawn was still hours away; far too early for anyone to be roaming the halls. Heart pounding like a drum, she threw off the blankets wrapped around her legs and whipped her head towards the other side of the bed. Anna let out a breath she hadn’t known she’d been holding as her startled eyes met Kristoff’s. His hair was a wild mess of cowlicks and his bare chest heaved with a panic that matched her own. Kristoff’s knuckles were white against the handle of the ice axe he clutched in his left hand as he jerked his chin towards the hallway in a silent question. 

Anna grabbed his arm and shook her head just as a stucco of beats reverberated through the closed door.

“Queen Anna, Lord Kristoff!” The familiar voice sounded strained even through the wood, “Please, you need to get up!”

Kristoff was at the door in three steps. Readying the axe, he locked eyes with Anna and silently counted to three before yanking it open. Gerda stood in the hallway wringing her hands. The uniform she was wearing looked like the same one she’d discarded after the cleaning yesterday, and her hastily pinned bun was coming loose, sending tendrils of greying strands into a face lined with worry. Her eyes lit upon the axe poised to strike and she let out a small scream. Clapping his free hand over her mouth, Kristoff pushed Gerda behind him and glanced up and down the empty corridor. There was shouting coming from somewhere far off in the castle, but the royal wing itself appeared to be deserted from what Anna could see from their bed. Which was odd, because there was normally at least one guard posted at every junction in the castle halls. 

“Kristoff, do you see anything?” Anna whispered.

Scanning the shadows for threats once more, Kristoff slowly shook his head. “No. Whatever is going on, it hasn’t reached here yet.” 

“Then how about you put the axe down?” Anna suggested, “I think Gerda is frightened enough as it is.” 

It was true. The housekeeper looked about ready to faint where she stood pressed up between the doorframe and Kristoff’s back. Lowering the axe, Kristoff stepped aside to give the shaking woman some space. He remained within arms’ reach though, and Anna noticed that he didn’t let go of the weapon. A weapon she hadn’t known was anywhere near their bed. Making a mental note to ask about the axe later, Anna tugged her robe off the headboard and wrapped it around Gerda’s shoulders. The other woman gave Anna a quivering smile.

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

Anna hated to push especially when Gerda looked like she was in some form of shock, but the shouting combined with the housekeeper’s distress made things appear rather urgent. “Gerda, I know it may be hard, but can you tell us what happened?”

The woman looked between Anna and Kristoff with tears floating in her eyes. “The King of the Southern Isles is gone!”

  
  



	7. Honeymaren

Honeymaren’s day crawled like molasses poured from a jar. Ever since Elsa and the Nokk had disappeared over the horizon, her world seemed to be stuck in slow motion. Hours dragged by with the sun stubbornly remaining overhead as she tried to do something, anything really, to make the time pass swiftly. Honeymaren’s brother Ryder had gone off with the herds before dawn, and since he was about the only person she felt comfortable talking about  _ feelings  _ with, Honeymaren buried herself in work. She finished up the last of the party sweets, cleaned out her  _ goahti,  _ and repaired some boots that were wearing thin. Then she did laundry, collected firewood, polished her weapons until they gleamed, and when all of this barely made a dent in the daylight, Honeymaren went fishing despite the camp stores’ overabundance of the frozen stuff. 

  


Walking back to camp with a string of trout in one hand and a duck she’d found caught in one of the hunting snares along the lake shore dangling from the other, Honeymaren reflected upon the irony of the whole situation. 

  


_ Why is it that time always passes so quickly when you least wish it to, and drags when you wish it would fly?  _ She mused as she dropped off her catch to the team of cooks preparing for Daiki’s birthday feast.  _ I’ve done a week’s worth of chores in a single day and it’s not even dark.  _ Honeymaren smirked at herself and got a couple of odd looks from the workers stirring a large vat of stew.  _ At least my impatience is productive I suppose.  _

  


With all of her own chores done, Honeymaren helped out wherever she could for the rest of the day. Which meant setting up for the party mostly. Birthdays for the Northuldra were normally fairly large events, though Honeymaren had heard this hadn’t always been the case. They used to be family affairs with quiet dinners and a gift or two. But life within the mist had been bleak. Gradually the parties had grown to incorporate the whole tribe as any bright moment became a welcome distraction from the reality of their confinement.

  


Now that everything had changed, no one had seen a reason to go back to the way things used to be. If anything, the celebrations were becoming more elaborate. Daiki’s birthday party was the first since the forest was freed, and everyone had thrown themselves into the preparations with unmatched fervor. The darker undertones that used to lurk in the smiles of her tribe were replaced with unbridled joy as they turned out dish after dish, piled wood into bonfires, wove decorative garlands of winter berries across the camp dwellings, and wrapped reindeer antlers with colorful ribbons. 

  


The moment the last ray of light vanished beyond the trees the fires were lit and the party began in earnest. There was music and dancing paired with good food, plenty of games, and lively company, but Honeymaren drifted through the celebration like a ghost. Usually she would have been the first to sign up for the athletic competitions, but she didn't have the heart for it this year. Ryder liked to brag that his sister was the best warrior in the tribe, and Honeymaren normally loved to prove it. Archery, hand-to-hand combat, staves, and gymnastics were among her best events. But in reindeer races she was undefeated. Her deer were second only to her family in her heart, a sentiment her brother shared. Honeymaren’s favorite mount was a large brindled cow named Mafalda. Honeymaren raised her from a gangly calf by hand, and had begun training the deer as soon as she could carry a saddle. Mafalda was naturally gifted with speed, a trait she’d grown into with her legs, but Honeymaren had nurtured her endurance over the last five years. The reindeer could outrace any member of the herd and could keep the pace up for miles without slowing. 

  


Yet, Mafalda had given birth to her first calf this year. The tiny little bull was absolutely the cutest thing, and obviously had great taste as he took about five seconds to befriend Elsa. But his presence meant that his mom wasn’t in any condition to race. The new family was currently resting with the other nursing cows in the lichen meadows, leaving Honeymaren without a mount and without yet another friend by her side.

  


Watching the other Northuldra prepare for the competitions just sharpened the ache in Honeymaren’s chest. When she saw a father helping his son bend a bow, she was reminded of the afternoons she spent teaching her many cousins to string one when they were young. The men practicing staves brought to mind the hours she spent laughing with her brother as they traded blows during weapons training. And passing Ryder grooming his own deer for the race made her long for the feel of Malfalda’s soft fur. 

  


But worse than all those reminders was the knowledge that Elsa wasn’t by her side. The laughter seemed flat to her ears without a certain mezzo-soprano’s rich chuckle. The fires seemed too warm without the kiss of cool air drifting in the wake of a slender, ice-clad form. Every so often a flash of white would flicker in the corner of her eyes, and Honeymaren’s head would whip around only to have her shoulders droop in disappointment as the shape resolved into a tuft of fur, a scarf, or the feathers of an owl. 

  


Honeymaren tried to talk about her problems with her brother, but Ryder was busy with the competitions most of the night. Just when she had finally tracked him down, he won third place at arm wrestling of all things, and a cute boy had asked him for some pointers. Ryder had beamed as he wished Honeymaren goodnight before walking off arm in arm with the guy. She didn’t hold it against him. Ryder was oblivious in the best of situations, and she was genuinely happy for him. But watching her brother leave with his date made Honeymaren even more aware of her solitude. 

  


After that, what little enthusiasm she’d had for the celebration had vanished. The night passed as slowly as the day for her. Various people asked Honeymaren to dance only to be politely declined. Delicious treats pressed her hands turned to sawdust in her mouth, and even the antics of the young reindeer prancing around in their finery failed to bring a smile to her face. As the light from the bonfires began to fade, Honeymaren plopped down on a familiar log just beyond the outskirts of the camp with a sigh. Running a hand over bark worn smooth from use, she didn’t notice Yelana until the other woman was practically behind her.

  


“I see Elsa didn’t join us tonight.”

  


Honeymaren jumped, and snatched her hand back as if she’d been burned. Looking up at the older woman, Honeymaren plastered what she hoped was a neutral expression on her face. 

  


“Elsa was feeling a little homesick. She was worried about how Anna was getting on as Queen, so I suggested that she travel to Ahtohallan to find out.” Honeymaren shrugged nonchalantly. “Daiki was a little disappointed she wasn’t here, but cheered right up when I passed along her promise to teach him to skate. They can hash out the details when Elsa gets back tomorrow.”

  


A grin fluttered at the corners of Yelana’s mouth. “Daiki missed her?”

  


“Of course! Who wouldn’t? She’s been with us for over a month now after all. All the kids love her.” Honeymaren’s hand skittered back across the log, absentmindedly tracing snowflake patterns over the bone white birch. “Elsa tells the best stories.”

  


Yelana nodded sagely. “I’m sure she does.” The woman crossed her arms and looked down at Honeymaren with a sigh. “It’s late, you should get some sleep.”

  


“Hmmm…” Honeymaren mumbled, focus still on the log beneath her.  _ If Elsa were a tree, I think she’d be a birch.  _ Honeymaren thought to herself,  _ with bark that gleams against the snow in winter, making all the other trees in the forest look dull by comparison. Or no, maybe she wouldn’t be a birch at all.  _ Honeymaren’s eyes widened as they caught sight of a tiny plant sprouting through the earth by her left boot. Shaped a little like the crocus flower of the Arendelle crest, but inverted, delicate white petals bloomed stubbornly in the shadow of the log. The snowdrop stood firm despite the chill in the air that promised frost by morning; thriving in the cold while the grass around it wilted. 

  


Honeymaren smiled down at the resilient flower.  _ What blooms against the snow? So strong where others falter; yet so fragile to the touch? Beautiful, graceful, with head bent shyly away from those who would look upon her face?  _

  


Gently, Honeymaren brushed a finger over the little plant.  _ Yes, if Elsa were anything, she’d be a snowdrop. Bringing hope in the dead of winter, just like she brought hope to the forest. _

  


“HONEYMAREN!” 

  


Honeymaren jerked sideways and nearly fell off the log as Yelana barked her name from where she stood utterly forgotten beside the her. Blinking up at her chieftain, Honeymaren tried to rein in her scattered thoughts.

  


“Yes? Were you saying something?”

  


Yelana rolled her eyes. “Yes, not that you appear to have heard any of it. For the third time, go to bed.” She waved a hand at the clearing below where the final party stragglers were dousing the embers of the bonfires. “Mooning about up here isn't going to make the night pass any faster, and clearly,” Yelana took in the way Honeymaren’s shoulders slumped and the dark circles underneath the younger woman’s eyes, “you could use the rest.”

  


“I’m not…” Honeymaren tried to protest, and Yelana cut her off with a snort.

  


“There are several things you very much are right now, but the one I’m choosing to address is your obvious lack of sleep.” Yelana’s voice softened just a bit, “for the last time Maren, go to bed.”

  


Honeymaren cast one final look down at the snowdrop by her foot. Maybe Yelana was right, maybe she did need sleep. She didn’t feel tired though. Honestly, Honeymaren wasn’t sure what she felt. Everything had been sort of dulled since Elsa had ridden off that morning. It was like the world had been wrapped once again in an impenetrable fog that she couldn’t escape; numbing all her senses while her mind raced in endless circles. 

  


Honeymaren dropped her head into her hands, unconsciously mirroring Elsa’s pose from their conversation that morning.

  


“What is wrong with me?” She whispered.

  


The words were low enough that Yelana could have pretended not to hear them if she wished. Blowing out an exasperated breath that curled like smoke in the cold air, the chieftain reached down and gently tugged Honeymaren to her feet. “Nothing that hasn’t happened to countless people since the dawn of time.” 

  


Honeymaren looked at Yelana with confusion written plainly on her face, and the older woman resisted the urge to sigh again. “Come on, I’ll walk you to your  _ goahti _ .”

  


The women walked in silence through the camp, waving every so often at the few other souls still awake at such a late hour. When they arrived outside Honeymaren’s home, the pair exchanged good nights. Honeymaren watched as Yelana disappeared into the dark, her mind still trying to decipher what the chieftain had meant. But the night yielded no answers, and now that Honeymaren was so close to her bed the weight of the day settled onto her like a yoke. Stepping inside, she pulled off her boots and tossed them to the other side of the room. She didn’t bother to undress, just collapsed into her blankets fully clothed as sleep claimed her.

  


Honeymaren did not sleep well.

  


She dozed fitfully at best. Tossing and twisting her clean sheets in knots, Honeymaren’s body thrashed as her dreams taunted her with cold hands and gentle smiles. Sometime just before dawn she gave up the effort completely after a particularly vivid one left her sweating, embarrassed, and entirely unsatisfied on a number of levels. Moonlight spilled across the room from the doorway she’d left slightly ajar in her haste to find sleep scant hours before. A chill wind rattled it on the hinges, drifting into the room to toss the hairs that escaped from her braid during the night. The cold brushed up against Honeymaren’s face but did absolutely nothing to cool the fire in her blood. 

  


Honeymaren groaned. Throwing off what little covers remained across her lap, she padded over to the basin that rested next to her carved trunk at the far end of the room. The water inside had a thin film of ice over its surface, but Honeymaren punched through it and splash the freezing stuff onto her face without a second thought. The water soaked the collar of her shirt; that was about it. If anything the chill just made the heat in her veins more pronounced instead of snuffing it out.

  


Staring into the rippling water in the basin, too dark and full of ice to cast back a reflection, Honeymaren gripped the sides with white knuckles.

  


“Come on Maren: snap out of it!” Honeymaren admonished herself. “She is your friend! Just a friend.”

  


But her traitorous mind wasn’t having any of that. Memories of the picnic they’d had a few days ago played like enchanted ice sculptures in her head. Elsa’s blush that she tried to hide when Honeymaren asked her to come along. The feel of their hands pressed together like two perfect puzzle pieces as they walked out to the pastures. The way Elsa picked berries one at a time: checking each for blemishes before dropping them into the pail Honeymaren carried. The look of pure satisfaction on her face when she found one that was perfectly ripe. How she sprawled on the grass as they tried to find shapes in the clouds after lunch. Elsa’s hair spilling carelessly onto Honeymaren’s shoulder and her thigh brushing up against Honeymaren’s when she turned to laugh at something Honeymaren had said. 

  


Honeymaren bit her lip hard at the memory. That laugh. It was sweeter than Honeymaren’s namesake; full of freedom, wonder, and surprising innocence. The sound rang like a siren song in Honeymaren’s ears. She would do anything to make Elsa laugh like that again.

  


Hanging her head over the basin, Honeymaren groaned.  _ She might just be a friend. But what I wouldn’t give for her to be more than that.  _

  


“Squeek?”

  


Interrupted from her spiraling thoughts, Honeymaren looked over to find a tiny lizard sitting on her trunk. It was light blue in color with magenta diamonds running in a pattern down its spine, and was no bigger than a pinecone. Large expressive blue eyes stared up at her as the fire spirit quirked his head to the side inquisitively. 

  


“What?” Honeymaren asked. 

  


The little spirit scurried off the trunk and climbed up onto the basin. He nudged one of her clenched fingers with his nose and repeated his question with the same head tilt.

  


“Squeek?”

  


Honeymaren sighed. “I’m okay if that's what you’re asking. Having a little trouble sleeping is all.”

  


Bruni gave her a look that could only be described as skeptical and huffed a cloud of smoke into the air.

  


“Really, it’s fine. You can go back to whatever you were doing, I’m good.” Honeymaren loosened her hold on the basin and straightened her spine. “Just needed some water.”

  


The spirit rolled his eyes. Dashing forward, he leapt off the basin and ran into the fire pit in the center of the floor. With a flash of light Bruni burst into flames, igniting the tinder Honeymaren had laid there for the morning. In seconds a merry blaze was crackling away. As the room began to warm, Bruni hopped onto Honeymaren’s bed. He flicked one end of his tail at Honeymaren, and then pointed forcefully at the twisted covers.

  


“You don’t have…”

  


Bruni did a great impression of the chieftain's serious face, and an arrow made entirely of flame popped into existence above him to point at the bed. 

  


“Okay! I’m coming, don’t burn anything!” Honeymaren crossed to the bed and plopped down next to the lizard who thankfully extinguished the fiery arrow before it could singe the walls. Bruni bumped his head against her side with affection and looked up at her expectantly. Resting her chin on one knee, Honeymaren regarded the spirit with a raised brow. 

  


“Nobody put you up to this did they?”

  


Bruni shook his head and bumped against her again. 

  


Honeymaren let loose another sigh. _Yelana did always say to listen to the spirits. And at least I know that Bruni isn’t going to tell anyone._ _It’s not like he can talk. Come one Maren._ Taking another look at the spirit on her bed, Honeymaren decided to plunge right into the heart of the matter. “It’s Elsa.” 

  


“Qurrrr?”

  


“Well, not really Elsa. It more about how I FEEL about Elsa that’s bothering me. Not in a bad way!” She hurried to reassure Bruni as he bristled a little with a cascade of tiny sparks. “Definitely not in a bad way.” Her cheeks reddened as she thought of the dreams again. “The opposite in fact. I know we are just friends, and that Elsa probably isn’t ready to be anything else right now. She’s just getting used to a new home, and her new role as a spirit with you all, and I never want to do anything that would make her uncomfortable, but…”

  


Honeymaren met Bruni’s blue-eyed gaze with her own. “I like Elsa. And not the ‘she’s nice’ kind of like. I want to make her smile, I want to be there for her when she’s scared, and if I’m lucky enough to ever get a chance to wake up next to her, I’d never want to sleep alone again.”

  


Saying the words out loud felt like a vise had been removed from her chest. It didn’t matter that her confidant was a tiny lizard, or that she was likely a very long way from confessing the same things to Elsa. It felt good to admit her feelings to herself. 

  


Honeymaren smiled down at Bruni. “You were right. Talking did help. Thanks for being such a great listener Bruni.”

  


The fire spirit grinned up at her. Making a sound similar to a cat’s purr, he crawled into Honeymaren’s lap. Bruni radiated comforting heat like a hot stone, and Honeymaren felt muscles she hadn’t even known were tense relaxing at the warmth. She ran a finger down his spine, giggling when he rolled over so she could pet his belly. The two basked in companionable silence for a while, just enjoying each other’s company in the firelight.

  


With the warmth from the fire and Bruni, Honeymaren actually felt herself beginning to nod off once more. She went to reach for one of her pillows so that she could lay down without disturbing the spirit on her lap when Bruni suddenly sprung to attention. Eyes glued to the doorway, Bruni cocked his head to the side as if listening for something. The only sound Honeymaren could hear were the logs popping in the fire. She frowned at the spirit’s alert stance.

  


“You hear something?”

  


Bruni nodded vigorously. Grabbing her trouser leg in his mouth, the spirit tugged her over to where she’d thrown her boots and bounced around them; nudging the laces and headbutting the soles until she put them on. Seeing she was shod, Bruni darted out the open door and disappeared from view. With her shirt collar still damp from the water she’d splashed on her face, Honeymaren decided that shoes or not, it was probably a good idea to grab a coat before running off into the fall woods at night. A few minutes later she emerged from her home to find Bruni waiting impatiently for her in the dirt road. A light frost covered everything that wasn’t within a foot-wide radius around the fire spirit, and Honeymaren was doubly glad she’d stopped for the extra layers as a breeze blew ice crystals into her face. 

  


“Want to tell me why we’re outside right now?” Honeymaren asked.

  


Bruni lit up with a shower of blue sparks. A couple of flames in the same pale color popped into existence, and danced like will-o'-wisps above his head. They twisted in complicated patterns that were stunning beautiful, but completely meaningless to Honeymaren. It was as if she was viewing the work of a talented calligrapher with no knowledge of the language they wrote. The light show continued for a few moments and then shut off as abruptly as it had begun. Apparently finished with his explanation, the little spirit looked smugly at Honeymaren and took off towards the water. 

  


“Guess I follow you then.” Honeymaren pulled the  _ goahti  _ door shut, and sprinted after Bruni.

  


It was that odd hour before dawn when the sun was a memory, yet the moon had already sunk below the horizon. The stars alone did little to illuminate the path down to the lake. Shadows stretched like blots of ink across the forest floor making it near impossible for Honeymaren to see her own feet, say nothing of a stray branch or rock in her way. Stumbling and tripping through the trees like a drunken bear, she somehow managed to keep the bobbing ball of light that was Bruni in her sights until they burst out of the forest onto the shore. 

  


The tiny lizard took in Honeymaren’s scuffed boots, the leaves in her hair, and the burrs clinging to her clothing with a gaze that seemed to say,  _ What happened to you? _

  


“Not everybody serves as their own personal torch. Don’t judge me.” Honeymaren reached up and plucked a stick off her hat. Flicking it to the side, she glanced around at the empty stretch of beach. The mix of polished rocks and sand met the calm water with barely a ripple despite the wind. No birds drifted on the surface. No animals scavenged along the shore. In fact, the only sound was the distant roar of waterfall that the lake fed into. 

  


Honeymaren crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at Bruni. “You better not have dragged me out here for nothing.”

  


The fire spirit ignored her. All of Bruni’s attention was on the northernmost part of the lake. Honeymaren followed his gaze and felt her heart lurch in her chest. A familiar figure was riding towards them over the water like an apparition from a dream. Specifically, one of Honeymaren’s own. Starlight caught on the ice crystals of Elsa's gown and her unbound hair, casting Elsa in a halo of light that seemed impossibly bright against the dark. She sat confident upon the Nokk’s back, guiding him with nothing but her legs as they approached the shore. Honeymaren couldn’t tear her eyes away.

  


_ She’s a goddess.  _

  


Yet, even as enamored as she was, Honeymaren could tell that there was something off about the fifth spirit. Elsa’s posture seemed stiffer than normal, and her free hands restlessly toyed with the Nokk’s mane leaving patches of frost on his neck. But the biggest tell was the way that her eyes kept darting towards the south: towards Arendelle. While she had been homesick the last time Honeymaren had seen her, Elsa looked positively anxious now. 

  


_ Is something wrong with her sister?  _ Honeymaren wondered. Elsa had gone to Ahtohallan to make sure Anna was okay. To come back like this could only mean trouble. Honeymaren had only known Elsa a short time, but it was abundantly clear that her sister was the center of her world. If something had happened to Anna, Honeymaren wasn’t exactly sure what Elsa would do. A sudden thought sucker-punched her in the gut.  _ What if she has to leave us? _

  


Her gaze met Elsa’s, and despite Elsa’s obvious worries the other woman smiled. Honeymaren forgot to breathe. Forcing the air back into her lungs, and hoping her thoughts weren’t written on her face, Honeymaren reached out a hand to help Elsa down as the Nokk came to a halt. 

  


“Thank you Honeymaren.” Elsa took the offered hand, completely unaware of the blush burning on Honeymaren’s cheeks in the darkness.

  


The Nokk snorted and Elsa turned to the water spirit with a frown. “She was being nice, stop it.”

  


The water spirit locked eyes with Elsa. The pair stood like that for a long moment, unmoving. Some silent conversation seemed to pass between them, and while Honeymaren had no idea what was going on, Elsa clearly emerged victorious as the Nokk broke the stare by sheepishly hanging his head. He stepped into the water, but didn’t collapse into foam, or dive away as Honeymaren expected.  _ Which could only mean… _

  


“I’m going back to Arendelle.” Elsa announced without preamble. 

  


Honeymaren felt like the ground was crumbling under her feet. “Is Anna alright?” She managed to ask.

  


Elsa bit her lip. “I think so, for now anyway. You remember that horrid prince I told you about, Prince Hans?”

  


“The one who led your sister on, dragged you back to Arendelle in chains, locked you in a dungeon, left Anna to die in the library, and then tried to murder you?” Honeymaren’s blood boiled just thinking about the guy. “Yeah, I remember him.”

  


“His father was invited to the summit, and I’m terrified that he’ll do something to sabotage Anna’s debut.” Elsa tugged at her fingers, a habit left over from her days of wearing gloves. “Anna always wants to see the best in people. I love her for it, but sometimes it blinds her to the darkness they hold as well. I don’t trust that family. If Anna is going to host a Westergaard in Arendelle, that is her choice. But there is no way on this earth that I’m going to leave her alone with one of them again.”

  


Honeymaren nodded. “I understand.” Heart clenching, she looked over to where the Nokk stood waiting. “Are you leaving right now then?”

  


“Yes.”

  


That single word hurt more than it should have. She’d known the answer after all. Smiling shakily at Elsa, Honeymaren mentally prepared herself for the lonely walk back to the camp. “Well, I hope everything in Arendelle goes well. I’m glad I got to see you before you left. Please travel safely, and don’t forget to send a letter now and then. Yelana worries you know.” 

  


Bruni let out an exasperated puff at the last bit, and Honeymaren did her best not to glare at the little spirit.

  


“I’m glad I got to see you too Honeymaren.” Elsa admitted, “But actually…” She looked away from Honeymaren as she said the last bit of the sentence. “I was hoping that you might want to come with me?”

  


Honeymaren’s brain froze. “What?”

  


“You haven’t been to Arendelle yet, and you spent so much time showing me the places you loved as a child, I wanted to show you where I grew up too.” Elsa twisted her fingers together. “And I could really use a friend.”

  


Honeymaren was still have trouble keeping up. “Won’t your sister, her fiance, Olaf, and that reindeer Sven be there?”

  


Elsa nodded. “Yes, but assuming that I’m worried for no reason, Anna will be busy with the summit, Kristoff will be helping Anna, Sven will be helping give carriage rides, and Olaf will be wherever the greatest number of people are. I’m still not great with crowds, and I was serious when I said that I didn’t want to overshadow Anna at the summit. If all goes well, I’ll be wandering the castle halls by myself.” She looked at Honeymaren then, the question clear in her ice blue eyes. “It would be nice to have someone to talk to.”

  


Was this real life? Because if it was a dream, Honeymaren never wanted it to end.

  


“Yes.” Honeymaren breathed.

  


“Yes?”

  


“Yes, I’ll go with you! I’d love to in fact.”

  


The two women stood there smiling at each other like fools. 

  


Bruni and the Nokk shared a look, but before either spirit could do anything, a bolt of lightning lit up the cloudless sky. Spidering like a crack across the eggshell of the world, the bolt pulsed once in the direction of Arendelle before vanishing. Seconds later, the thunder hit the group hard with clapping  _ BANG _ that Honeymaren felt in her teeth. 

  


The three spirits and the Northuldra woman stood on the lake shore stunned.

  


“You don’t think…” Honeymaren ventured.

  


Elsa wrenched her feet free from the sudden patch of ice beneath her. Voice tight, she looked towards Arendelle as she responded. “I’d rather not leave it to chance.” 

  


Every fiber of Elsa’s form was poised to flee towards Anna, but she didn’t take off when she leapt onto the Nokk’s back. As the water spirit danced with urgency beneath her, Elsa dismissed the frost creeping down her sleeve and offered Honeymaren a hand. 

  


“Shall we go make sure my sister still has a kingdom to rule?” 

  


Honeymaren scooped Bruni into the pocket of her shirt. Clapping her palm in Elsa’s, Honeymaren grinned up at the fifth spirit. “There’s never a dull moment with you is there?”

  
  



	8. Anna

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! Thank you all so much for all of the lovely comments and the Kudos! I apologize for the rather lengthy space between chapters this time around. I made the executive decision to not cut this one down, even though it is easily the longest one thus far by half. Thanks again for reading!

Miles away in the royal wing of the Arendelle castle, Kristoff and Anna stood framed by their open bedroom door in stunned silence after Gerda choked out her news. Staring at the servant wringing her hands before her, Anna felt her world begin to tilt on its axis as her brain tried and failed to make sense of what she’d just been told.

“Gone?” Anna asked Gerda, her mind whirling with the possible implications. “Gone how? Like he left? Like he’s missing? Or are we talking gone, like…” Anna made a slashing motion across her neck as words failed her. “Please, oh please, let it be one of the first two, because if it’s the last, oh I don’t even want to think about it.” She grabbed Kristoff’s arm like a lifeline as her pleading eyes met Gerda’s, “Please tell me it isn’t the last one!”

Gerda just mutely shook her head.

Anna’s stomach dropped through the floor. “You mean he’s…”

Gerda shook her head again. Visibly gathering her scattered nerves, the housekeeper tried to clarify, her voice breaking on the words. “No. His Majesty isn’t dead, at least we hope not. We don’t think so.” 

Anna opened her mouth to ask what exactly that meant, but Kristoff beat her to it. “You don’t think so?” His hand tightened around the handle of the ice axe, gaze darting between Anna and corridor that led to the far side of the castle where the guests for the summit were housed. 

“I’m doing a terrible job explaining. Maybe if you just come see for yourself?” Gerda suggested weakly. She was swaying a bit on her feet, and Anna realized that the older woman probably hadn’t gotten a wink of sleep since the dinner. 

Kristoff frowned. Looking up at her fiance Anna could see the wheels turning in his head. There was the booming noise that woke them up, the unexplained state of the housekeeper, and the apparent vanishing of one of the monarchs under their protection. Every single thing Anna could think of that would result in that particular combination practically screamed danger, and she could tell that Kristoff was coming to the same conclusion. But, dangerous or not, she was the Queen. And queens couldn’t run from their problems. 

“Absolutely n…” Kristoff began, and Anna cut him off.

“Please, if you would Gerda.”

The housekeeper didn’t look like she was going to be able to provide a coherent account of what happened, no matter how hard they pressed her for answers. Perhaps the scene of the “incident” was self explanatory, but if not there were certainly going to be more people there to question. 

Anna released Kristoff’s arm. Linking her elbow with the shaken housekeeper’s, she started down the hall, leaving the ice harvester to follow. “I think we’d better see what’s going on for ourselves.” 

The castle corridors were completely devoid of life as Gerda’s wobbly steps led Anna out of her wing. Normally there would be patrolling guards to greet them, and servant or two who would sketch a bow to the Queen on their way to light the morning fires. With every deserted corner the small group passed, Anna grew increasingly concerned. Kristoff’s footfalls behind them seemed magnified in the empty space, and Anna could feel his eyes boring holes into her spine. She didn’t have to turn around to know that he was watching her like a hawk. If Elsa and Kristoff had one thing in common beyond their connection with ice, their preference for solitude, and a penchant for waking up at ridiculously early hours, it was their love of Anna. Which pretty much led both to have similar reactions to her skipping into danger. Not that she often skipped into it. Fall, run, trip, even stumble, yes, but the point remained the same. 

_ I may not have magic powers or super strong ice-lifting muscles of steel, but I’m not helpless.  _ Anna grumbled to herself as she helped Gerda down the main stairs in the center of the castle.  _ I can handle a little trouble. And it’s not like Gerda would ever lead me into anything  _ actively  _ dangerous anyway. She practically raised me for goodness sake. Whatever’s wrong, I’m sure it’s just a big misunderstanding. King Halstein is probably just getting some fresh air or something. We’ll find him, everybody will go back to sleep, and this whole mess will seem super silly in the morning. We’ll all have a good laugh about it later.  _

Gerda halted abruptly. Lost in thought, Anna nearly fell over her own feet at the sudden change of pace. As she steadied herself, she heard Kristoff suck in a startled breath behind her. Anna looked up from her toes, and all hope of this being an easy fix drained away.

The only word that came to mind to describe the scene before her was chaos. Absolute chaos. Dignitaries in nightgowns and nightshirts clustered near the doorways up and down the hall as the Arendellian guards rushed about taking statements. Several of the dignitaries appeared to have already given theirs, but instead of retreating back into their rooms, they just stayed in the middle of the action watching the drama unfold. And they weren't the only loiterers. Anna spied a large group of people who normally worked on the grounds lingering wide-eyed at the far end of the hall. Other members of the castle staff had busied themselves bringing hot beverages and snacks to the guests, which would have been fine, but the trays were clearly getting in the way of the guards judging from the broken crockery that littered the middle of the floor.

Every time someone wanted to move through the space they had to push past a crowd of onlookers, and judging from what Anna could make out over the general cacophony of sound, nobody was happy with the arrangement. The guests wanted to know what was going on, the staff was trying (for the most part) to make sure the guests were okay, and the guards wanted to complete their investigations in peace: none of which was able to be accomplished with the whole population of the castle squeezed into one wing.

  
  


“I’m going to guess that King Halstein isn’t dead, you know, cause people have snacks.” Kristoff muttered. 

Anna nodded in agreement. “But clearly he hasn’t just walked out to the bathroom either, or they would have found him by now.”

“I don’t know… seems like the entire castle is stuck here. Maybe got lost or something?”

“Maybe.” Anna winced as one of the guards made a rather rude gesture at a passing footman in full view of the Hakalo ambassador. “But we better shut this down fast before someone starts a fight, or worse.”

“How do you plan on doing that? It’s like the docks on market day!”

“Clearing people out should be the easy part.” Anna flapped a dismissive hand. “What I’m worried about is the fact that unlike sailors, ambassadors tend to take it personally when someone calls them ….”

CRASH

_ “ _ YOU BUMBLING SON OF A BLIND PUFFIN!”

“Uh… something close to that I guess?” Anna raised an eyebrow as the now drenched maid began to lay into the guard who’d bumped into her amidst the wreckage of yet another set of dishes.

Kristoff grinned as the woman began berating the poor guy’s entire lineage with waterfowl metaphors. “She’s creative.” 

“Definitely, though I’d rather not let anything escalate beyond puffins.” Anna agreed. “One royal ‘gone’ is enough. Last thing we need is one insulted as well.”

“How did things get so out of hand? Shouldn't Kai or Mattias be imposing order here?” Kristoff pointed out. “I don’t see them anywhere.”

The thought hadn’t even crossed Anna’s mind, but now scanning the faces in the hall, she failed to find either man in the chaos. It was extremely odd that neither one had shown up considering the fact that the noise from the guest wing could be heard all the way across the castle. “You’re right. I don’t see them either.” 

“They could be organizing a search party or something outside.”

“True, but we’re not going to get any answers just standing here. Let’s ask that guy!” Anna decided. She went to take a step towards the nearest guard, and stopped when the hand on her forearm tightened. Looking down at the exhausted housekeeper whose arm trembled against Anna’s own, Anna amended her earlier statement. “Actually, there is something I have to do first.”

“Hey, Rayen!” Anna called out, intercepting the passing maid carrying a broom and dustpan.

The woman turned around clearly ready to snap something at the interruption; only to have the snarl disappear from her face along with the color in her cheeks when she realized who exactly had called her. Sketching the deepest curtsy she could manage with the broom in her way, Rayon looked at the floor as she addressed Anna.

“Yes, Your Majesty?”

“Gerda has had a very long night. Can you help her get to bed? I’d take her to her suite myself, but as you can see…” Anna reflexively shrugged towards the crowded hall forgetting that Rayen’s gaze was glued to the woodwork, “I’m not going to be able too anytime soon.”

“Of course, Your Majesty.” Rayen curtsied again.

Having been completely silent since they arrived in the guest wing, Anna’s mention of her name seemed to shake Gerda out of her stupor. Drawing herself up to her full height, the older woman frowned. It was an expression that caused many of the maids under her direction quake before the coming storm of disapproval, and one that had cowed Anna countless times during her childhood. Rayen cringed and Anna had to force herself not to do the same. Gerda was clearly tired. Even as she gave them both ‘the look’, Anna could see the effort just standing seemed to cost her in the tightness of Gerda’s shoulder and the trembling of her normally perfect posture. 

“There is no need to trouble this girl, Queen Anna. I can make it back on my own two feet perfectly fine!” Gerda protested. “Let her get back to cleaning up. Goodness knows the place could use it!

“Gerda, thank you for waking Kristoff and I, and leading us here personally, but we can handle it from here. You need sleep. One of the guards can fill us in. Get some rest, and you can help us all in the morning.”

Gerda’s frown deepened. “Respectfully, Your Majesty, I think I am needed here. Margaret has clearly done a terrible job organizing the servers while I left to fetch you. I wouldn’t be able to sleep a wink knowing the impressions our staff must be giving the ambassadors.”

Rayen looked to Anna, clearly a little torn. Meeting her gaze, Anna smiled apologetically. Gerda was going to have some choice words for them both in the morning if Anna couldn’t find a way to convince the housekeeper that going to bed was in the best interest of the kingdom. And in the case that Anna failed, then Rayen was definitely going to get the brunt of it being closer at hand. Anna made a mental note to give the girl an extra day off regardless of what happened. 

“Gerda, do you know where Kai and Mattias are?” Anna asked abruptly.

Gerda blinked. “No, Your Majesty.”

“Well neither do I, but if I had to guess, I’d say that both of them are probably sleeping like babies right now.” Anna grasped Gerda by the shoulders. “You trust Kai running the household, right?”

“Of course!” Gerda stammered, struggling to keep up with the sudden barrage of questions.

“Well then there’s no problem!” Anna declared.

“Pardon me?”

Kristoff was struggling not to laugh behind Anna as the defiant glare on Gerda’s face melted into pure confusion. With a wicked smile that absolutely promised trouble, Anna leaned down and stage whispered into the housekeeper's ear. 

“I’m going to wake them up and force them to get everyone in line. Hey Kristoff?”

“Yes?” Kristoff was almost afraid to ask.

“Do you still have that little flute Bulda made for you four summers ago? The one that was supposed to scare away bugs, but pretty much just frightened EVERYTHING else instead?”

“I kinda buried it out behind the stables after your sister threatened to warp my sled if I ever so much as looked at it again.”

_ Oh yeah, I do remember that. Same day we learned that Elsa keeps a small stash of wine bottles in the library. Well, kept.  _ Anna amended.  _ I don’t know which she was more angry about, the wine, or the carpet we had to replace?  _

Anna gave herself a mental shake, “Ok, plan ‘b’ then. I’m going to send one of the staff armed with pan lids to go fetch Kai and Mattias. Whatever, the point is, they will be woken up! Then once they meet us here, we’re all going to work together to get this crisis resolved.”

Gerda still looked confused. “What does this have to do with my willingness to leave Kai in charge?”

“Because dear Gerda, no one can work all night and still be functional in the morning. Not you, not me, not even Elsa no matter how many times she claims that,” Anna made air quotes with her fingers, “magic helps.”

“Gerda, I need you to get some sleep so that if this gets drawn out there will be someone able to take over.” Anna concluded. “You are one of the people I trust the most, and I need you to be there for Arendelle just in case.”

“Your Majesty…”Gerda’s eyes welled up. “I’m… I’m so touched! I thought you were just trying to get this old woman out of the way.”

“Never.” Anna gave the housekeeper a hug. “I just wanted to make sure you weren’t pushing yourself too hard. I need you too much to have you keel over from exhaustion!”

Sniffling, Gerda hugged Anna back. Straightening up as best she could, Gerda took the hand Rayen offered. “I will see you in the morning then Queen Anna. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight Gerda, and thank you again!” Anna called after her as the pair disappeared towards the servant’s quarters. And just like that, it was just Anna and Kristoff left facing the mob.

“So, what now?” Kristoff asked.

“Now we get everyone’s attention.”

Kristoff looked at the horde of castle occupants who were so busy shouting at one another they had still not noticed their Queen in standing on the threshold. “And how do you plan to do that?”

Anna cracked her neck and rolled her shoulders. “By doing what I do best.”

Glancing around the hall, Anna took stock of the objects at her disposal. A suit of armor: cool, but far to prone to falling to pieces. Pillows on the built-in window seats: too fluffy. Curtains: great cape stand-in, but she didn’t need that right now. A sideboard piled high with dishes waiting to go back to the kitchen: too heavy to move. 

_ Ahhh, there we go! _ Anna’s eyes lit up as she spied just what she was looking for nestled in a corner. Well, maybe not exactly what she was looking for, but something that would work at least. Anna dashed over to the empty planter and lugged it to the guest wing’s entryway.

“What is that for?”

Anna grunted as she flipped the heavy container upside down. “If you haven’t noticed, I’m not the tallest person in the world. I’d like to be seen as well as heard.”

Kristoff stared dubiously at the planter. “Are you sure that’s safe?”

“It’s fine. It’s meant to hold trees.” Anna waved a dismissive hand as she clambered onto the pot. Kristoff didn’t look convinced, but he didn’t try to change her mind. He did however move the tiniest bit closer with his arms held loose at his sides; the ice axe hooked onto his belt so that both hands could be free, just in case. 

Every Arendellian monarch before Anna had perfected their own way of drawing attention when they entered a room. Anna’s father, King Agnarr, had liked to wear boots with nails drilled into the heels. The clacking of his footwear against the castle’s wooden floors could be heard several moments before he appeared. It made it really easy to win during childhood games of hide and seek, but for the purpose of announcing his presence to courtiers, the nails worked like a charm.

Elsa, of course, just used magic. Which Anna felt was overkill since her sister had a pretty magnetic presence to begin with. Her dresses were often embellished with glittering ice, or made from the stuff entirely; sparkling with every step she took. If the dresses somehow weren’t enough to silence pretty much everyone in a room, Elsa would simply lower the temperature about ten degrees. That always got people’s attention.

Anna didn’t have magical powers, and she didn’t have iron in her shoes. The first by nature, and the second by choice. She simply valued her late night raids on the kitchen too much. But Anna had something that neither her father or Elsa possessed: a scream that could wake up a rock, and a blatant disregard for the royal precinct that said she shouldn’t use it.

“EVERYBODY FREEZE!”

The mob froze. Ambassadors with teacups poised to their lips, servants with their fists raised in protest, and guards with hands on their swords all turned towards the Queen like stuttering windup toys. If she wasn’t up in the middle of the night to investigate a possible murder/kidnapping/vanishing of one of her guests, Anna would have found the reaction hilarious. Unfortunately, she was far too tired for that. Clearing her throat in the dead silence, Anna bowed slightly towards the nearest royal, who happened to be Queen Marisol, and addressed the ambassadors as a whole.

“On behalf of Arendelle, please accept my most sincere apologies for this disturbance. I am sure that you all have many questions about your rude awakening, and I assure you that I will do all I can to answer them in the morning.”

Anna flicked her eyes towards the guards. “The men and women of the royal guard have, as is the proper procedure, set up a perimeter around this wing of the castle. Your safety is our first priority.” Choosing a guard at random from the crowd, Anna crooked a finger in a ‘come here’ motion. The crowd parted like the red sea around the woman as she approached. 

“Guardswoman Vita, how many of our people are here in this wing?”

The guard bowed low. “Half of our full deployment Your Majesty.” 

“Good. Send someone to fetch General Mattias and Kai. Then I want one person assigned to each of our guests effective immediately. You are in charge of assignments until otherwise ordered by the General when he arrives.”

Vita saluted Anna. “Yes, Your Majesty!” Grabbing the two guards nearest to her, she melted back into the crowd.

Anna turned back to the Ambassadors. “Once your assigned guard has introduced themselves, please feel free to return to your rooms. All concerns and observations can be reported to General Mattias tomorrow if they cannot wait until after my official address. Thank you again for your patience.”

There was some grumbling among the other royals and dignitaries, but after that clear of a dismissal from the Arendelle Queen there was nothing left to do but disperse or risk appearing extremely rude. Queen Marisol caught Anna’s eye and winked. Mouthing “good luck,” she slipped into her own room as the rest of the crowd began to thin down. The stablehands and gardeners vanished along with the kitchen staff and most of the other servants who had simply come to investigate the noise and stayed for the show that followed. Soon the only people left in the hall with Anna and Kristoff were a couple of maids working on the broken dishes, the guards stationed by the doors, and the people who had been investigating the King of the Southern Isles’ room. 

Kristoff offered Anna a hand down from the planter. “You know, I’ve been wondering something.”

“What would that be?” Anna asked as she took it.

“Who are you, and what have you done with Anna?”

Kristoff dodged the playful punch she threw at his shoulder. “I mean, that’s the second time in less than twenty-four hours when you’ve said something so incredibly formal. Did you lock yourself in a room with all of Elsa’s etiquette books?”

“For your information Mister, I did have the exact same tutors she did. I just chose not to use it often.” Anna made a face. “Formalities simply mask people’s true intentions with pretty words.”

“Very philosophical.”

“They do though. Remember our missing guest during dinner?” Anna flexed her fingers, “Maybe it’s a good thing I wasn’t the one born with powers, cause if I had, well… Let’s just agree that a takedown via words wouldn’t have been my first response.”

“Speaking of,” Kristoff shrugged towards King Halstein's room. “You ready?”

Anna sighed. “I’m still hoping he’s in a bathroom or something.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ten minutes later, Anna stared wide-eyed into the trashed room. “He’s not in the bathroom.”

She and Kristoff had actually been headed over to investigate when a winded Mattias came dashing into the hall with Vita at his heels. He had apparently been enjoying the evening in town with Halima when the guards found him. There was flour dusted across the front of the shirt underneath his uniform’s jacket, and something that looked suspiciously like lipstick smudged under one ear. In the time they’d spent filling him in on the little they’d been able to gather from Gerda, Kai had arrived as well. Kai had taken one look at the stains on the guest wing’s floor, the abandoned refreshment trays, and the broken dishes before muttering something that would have made a barkeep blush under his breath. 

_ “Take one night off and things literally and figuratively fall to pieces.” Kai grumbled. He looked at Anna and pointed to a broken shard near his feet, “Please tell me that no one saw them drop this.”  _

_ “I wish I could Kai.” _

_ The chamberlain cursed again.  _

_ “Yeah, the cursing was the part that had me worried too.” Kristoff helpfully supplied. _

_ “THE WHAT?!” _

With half the castle to reprimand for their behavior in front of visitors, Kai decided to excuse himself from the primary investigation. He promised to organize a search of the rest of the castle instead, and vanished down the hall with the fires of retribution burning in his eyes.

_ Which was probably a good thing, because I’m pretty sure he’d have a fit if he saw this place right now.  _ Anna thought to herself as she stood in the center of the guest bedroom trying to comprehend the sheer level of destruction that surrounded her.

The room looked as if someone had released a horde of angry badgers into the place. Linens that had lain scant hours earlier without a winkle upon the bed were torn into shreds, and scattered across the floor like streamers. One of the balcony doors had a crack spider-webbing through its center pane, the dressing screen had collapsed, and the armoire had one of the doors hanging haphazardly from a single remaining hinge. Clothes were strewn about the whole mess with abandon as well. Some, like the pants and shirt on the floor next to the bed looked like they might have been discarded in favor of sleepwear. Others clearly had no business being where they rested. Anna glanced up and noticed the jacket King Halstein had worn to dinner was draped over the chandelier. 

In fact, the only object in the whole space that appeared untouched was the mirror she’d helped Kristoff carry inside that morning. It still stood just to the left of the balcony, the gilt frame glittering in what little starlight trickled through the windows. Anna frowned. 

_ That’s odd. _

Lifting her skirts, she grabbed one of the lanterns from the wall and picked her way over to the spilled contents of one of the king’s trunks to stand before the looking glass. The runes around the edges were just as indecipherable in the flickering light of the lantern she held; the glass surface as smooth as Elsa’s flawless ice. Anna raised her light higher, and her reflection stared back. Mussed red hair falling out of the braids she’d thrown together framed a face with eyes that seemed older than her twenty-one years. They were familiar, those eyes. Not because they were her own. No, it was the weight they held. All the pain, the worry, the responsibility of a crown that dragged at the corners in small crows feet. They were her father’s eyes. They were Elsa’s. 

Anna reached out a hand towards the glass, only to snatch it back and whirl around as Kristoff tripped over something behind her.

“Ow!”

“Are you ok?” Turning her back to the mirror, Anna found Kristoff rubbing a sore spot on his shin next to the pile of stuff she’d just stepped over.

“Yeah, I’m good. Just ran into that trunk.” Kristoff glared at the offending object. “I thought I was messy, but this guy clearly has a problem.”

Anna nodded in agreement. “I’ve left clothes in weird places, but even I know not to hang them from the light fixtures.” She bent down and held up a boot between her thumb and forefinger. “Does something about this whole thing strike you as strange?”

“What, about the boot?”

Anna gave him a look, “No, not the boot specifically, but yes it's a part of it. I mean the whole place being trashed.” She jerked her chin towards the trunk he’d tripped over. “If he was going to leave on his own, wouldn’t he have taken that with him?”

“He would have.” A new voice answered.

Anna and Kristoff both turned to find Prince Lars standing next to General Mattias in the doorway. The prince was still wearing the uniform from dinner, but the glasses perched on the bridge of his nose and the book he held clutched to his chest were new.

“I was talking with the guards outside and according to what they were able to gather from the initial witnesses, Prince Lars was likely the last person to see his father before he disappeared.” Mattias supplied. “I was just about to go looking for our guest when he found me first.”

Prince Lars nodded. “I thought I should check our ship again, just in case my father had gone there to sleep in the hold. He often likes to set up a hammock in with the cargo when he wants to be alone. It’s not the first place most people would know to look, so I figured it might have gotten missed. But no luck.” Lars gestured with his nose towards one of the garments tossed atop the fallen dressing screen. “That’s what he was planning on wearing tomorrow anyway. If my father had chosen to sleep elsewhere, he certainly would have brought a change of clothes.”

Kristoff looked at the crumpled dress shirt, at Prince Lars, and then back at the shirt again. “Is your father normally a slob?” He asked bluntly.

“Kristoff!” Anna gasped.

“What? It’s a legitimate question!”

Prince Lars cracked a smile. “Only when he’s angry. And he was hopping mad last night.” He clutched the book he was holding closer to his chest. “I decided to go to the library after dinner, and might I just say that your selection of tomes on all manner of magical phenomena was positively mind-blowing. I ended up reading far later than I planned to. My candle died about halfway through this volume on the wisps of DunBroch, and I took that as a sign to head to my room. I’d just made it into this wing when I heard a large crash like something had been tossed against a wall from my father’s room. I knocked on the door to make sure everything was alright, and he ripped it open to scowl at me.”

“Do you remember what time that was?” Mattias asked.

“Sometime around midnight I think?” Lars shrugged. “Maybe a bit later, but the room pretty much looked the way it does now. He just glared at me for a second, then called Queen Anna here something I refuse to repeat, and slammed the door in my face. I heard him toss a couple of other things after that. Letting him cool off seemed like the best option, so I turned back to my room to change for the night when there was this blinding flash of light followed by the loudest booming sound I've ever heard.”

“That’s what woke us up!” Anna exclaimed. “I was half-sure I dreamed the whole thing.”

“Well, whatever it was, it seemed to come from my father’s end of the hall. I ran back to make sure he was ok, but when I knocked there was no answer. I tried the knob, but the door was locked. By the time one of the guards managed to get it open for me, he was gone.” Prince Lars stared at a spot on the floor. “We checked everywhere. If he was in the room, we would have found him.”

“So...our only clue is a mysterious light/noise show that woke most of the castle?” Kristoff asked. “That’s not much to go on.”

“It’s more than we had before.” Anna pointed out. She darted towards the door with practiced ease over the mess, and grabbed Prince Lars by the elbow.

“Your Majesty?” 

“Lars, can I call you Lars?” Anna asked as she tugged the prince of the Southern Isles into the center of the room. 

“Yes, Your Majesty?” Lars stuttered.

“Great! You said that you got a look at the room behind you father when he opened the door, right?” Anna prompted.

“That’s right.”

“Well, then you are the only person who would be able to tell if anything changed in here after the king disappeared!” Anna swept an arm in a motion that encompassed the entire space. “Think Lars, what do you remember?”

Prince Lars pushed his glasses up on his nose, and furrowed his brow. Turning in a tight circle, Lars scoured every inch of the place while Anna, Kristoff and Mattias watched with baited breath. Minutes dragged like hours until he finally paused with his eyes fixed on a spot just left of the balcony. A place Anna had just been standing.

“I only got a really brief glance,” Lars admitted. “But I could have sworn my father had his lute resting against that mirror there.”

“The King of the Southern Isles plays the lute?” Kristoff asked incredulously.

“What’s so hard to believe about that? YOU play the lute.” Anna pointed out.

“I don’t know, he just didn’t strike me as a lute kinda guy. If I had to picture him with an instrument, I probably would have pictured a set of war drums or something.”

Lars snorted with laughter. “The Queen wouldn’t let him anywhere near the house if he played anything louder. And if I’m being completely honest,” Lars leaned in and dropped his voice. “I think my father actually prefers the lute. He takes that instrument everywhere. That’s one of the main reasons I noticed it was missing.”

“Ok.” Anna planted her hands on her hips and eyed the mess with fresh purpose. “We’ve got a missing king and a missing lute. One is rarely found without the other, meaning that if the lute is in this room then the king may have been taken by force, and if the lute is really gone, then the king may just be getting to know Arendelle a little better and we’ve all been worried for nothing.” She reasoned. “Here’s the plan. Kristoff, you and I will search around here for clues since it’s the last spot Lars remembers seeing the instrument. Lars, you will go check the Southern Isles ship again since out of all of us you have the best idea of where your father might stash something there. You were just looking for a hammock last time, so maybe you missed it. And Mattias…”

“I’ll be making sure that the guards sweep the hall with a fine toothed comb, Your Majesty.” Mattias said with a salute. “Now that you’ve cleared everyone out we might actually be able to do a proper job of it.”

“Great! Everyone knows what they’re doing?” Three heads nodded. “Alright then, let’s find ourselves a king!”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“ARRGGG! This is hopeless!” 

Anna threw herself down onto the clothes-covered floor. Anna’s body ached from exhaustion. The wooden floor was cool beneath her nightgown, and the discarded clothes softened the hard surface just enough that she realized it was going to be a struggle to rise again. Dawn was just beginning to peak over the mountains surrounding the fjord, and they hadn’t found a single clue since Prince Lars’ revelation about the missing lute. Lars and Mattias had left hours ago; the former went to get some sleep after announcing the ship was totally empty of both lutes and kings, while the latter decided that searching the town would be more productive than looking in the same empty hall over and over again. 

Kristoff looked at her like she’d sprouted another head. “I think lack of sleep is messing with me. ‘Cause I know the word ‘hopeless’ isn’t in Anna’s vocabulary.”

“Well, it is.” Anna muttered. “I’ve been over every square inch of this room, and NOTHING!"

“Maybe we’re just not looking at this the right way.” Kristoff suggested with a yawn. “There’s got to be something here. The king couldn’t have just disappeared into thin air.” But even he didn’t seem convinced by his own words as another yawn rocked his body. There were dark circles under his eyes, and he was swaying just a tiny bit on his feet like Gerda had been earlier. 

_ Or is it later at this point?  _ Anna groaned, letting her head thump back against the ground.  _ I don’t even know anymore.  _

Anna stared up at the jacket dangling from the chandelier as Kristoff continued to poke halfheartedly at the mess. _Look at things another way, huh._ Anna rolled onto her side, _Ok, I’m looking at things another way, and what do I see? The same broken chair, discarded shirt, overturned trunk, the dust under the bed, that blood on the mirror._ _Wait…_

Scrambling to her feet, Anna dashed over to the mirror. Tilting her head, she looked closely at the bottom of the frame and gasped. There were two distinct rust red smears about shoulder-width apart on the gilt wood. It was pretty well hidden by the raised edges of the carved runes, but if you looked at the mirror at just the right angle the bloodstains were unmistakable.

“Kristoff.”

“Yeah?”

“Kristoff, you have to see this.” Anna blindly waved in his direction, her eyes glued to blood.

There was a heavy sigh, and Kristoff plodded over. “What is it?

“That!” Anna pointed a shaking finger towards the frame. 

Kristoff squinted at the runes. “Weren’t those there yesterday?”

Anna rolled her eyes in exasperation. “Not the runes! What’s ON the runes.” Grabbing her fiancé by the chin, she tilted his head slightly to the left. “Now look!”

“Is that…?” Kristoff’s tired eyes widened.

“YOUR MAJESTY, GET AWAY FROM THAT MIRROR!” 

A voice shrieked from the doorway and Anna lept back away from Kristoff in surprise, her right foot tangling in a stray shirt. She lost her balance, her gaze meeting Kai’s terrified expression just as her right hand landed splayed against the glass. The mirror surface rippled like water on a pond under her fingers, and Anna watched in horror as her hand sunk into the reflective surface. The whole room lit up as the mirror blazed to life. Runes flared with blinding colors causing the glass to turn a molten sliver that seemed to boil against Anna’s wrist. A tingling sensation shot up her arm and through her veins to settle in her core. Vaguely Anna heard the two men shouting her name, their voices distorted as if underwater, but she blocked them out as the mirror’s magic tugged on against her limbs like quicksand. Her free hand scrabbled for something, anything, to hold on to, her right side sinking faster into the glass. She opened her mouth to scream, and a body crashed into hers. 

“I’ve got you!” Kristoff yelled. Wrapping his arms around her shoulders, he braced his feet against the floor and pulled. Anna grabbed his waist, trying to anchor herself as the mirror tripled its efforts. In her peripheral vision, Anna saw Kai latch onto Kristoff from behind. The two humans engaged in a tug of war with Anna as the rope. Muscles strained, boots scuffed the floor, but the magic was stronger. The group was pulled across the floor as the mirror swallowed Anna until only her head and left arm where free. Sweat poured down Kristoff’s body, slippery where their hands met, and Anna knew then it was only a matter of time. 

Scouring his face to burn it into her memory, Anna smiled shakily at the man she was going to marry. “I love you.”

“Anna, what…” Kristoff gasped.

With more strength than she knew she possessed, Anna wrenched herself forward to give him a one-armed hug. The mirror surface flexed like a rubber band around her. 

“Don’t let Elsa blame herself.” Anna whispered.

Anna’s fingers closed around the handle of the ice axe on Kristoff’s belt as the recoil snapped. His hand reaching for hers was the last thing Anna saw before silver closed over her head, and the world went dark.

  
  



	9. Kristoff

“ANNA!”

Anna’s arm was torn from around Kristoff’s waist. Screaming her name, he watched in horrified slow-motion as the glass swallowed Anna whole. Silver closed over her fiery hair, the outstretched fingers of her left hand, and her cerulean eyes alight with fear met his one last time. Then she was gone. 

Kristoff lunged forward as the mirror rippled over Anna’s head. Reaching for the place where she had been moments before, his fingers almost brushed the glass when the whole surface sparked with a light brighter than the sun. Howling with a pain born of more than just the white spots seared across his vision, Kristoff stumbled back into Kai and they both toppled to ground. 

BANG

The clap of thunder rattled Kristoff’s teeth. The whole room shook with the sound, and through the ringing in his ears he heard something shatter. Something physical, like a vase falling from a shelf. Because even though his world was fracturing, he was fairly sure that was something only he could hear. Blinking furiously to clear his vision, Kristoff levered himself off the chamberlain and stumbled towards the mirror.

“Your Highness! Lord Kristoff, don’t!” Kai gasped.

Kristoff ignored him. Whatever warnings Kai wanted to give were far too late. The mirror loomed above Kristoff as his wobbly legs sent him sprawling at its base. Glass gone still reflected back nothing but the room and his own terror. Bracing himself for what came next, Kristoff blocked out Kai’s shouts and the clatter of boots from the guards rushing down the hall.

_ I’m coming Anna! Hang in there just a little longer! _

Kristoff slapped both of his palms onto the silvery glass. Eyes squeezed tight he waited for the mirror to ripple, for the surface to creep over his hands and swallow him as it did Anna. 

Nothing.

Smooth as ice, the glass was cold under his fingers. Cold and firm. 

Kristoff frowned,  _ No. _

He pushed lightly against the mirror. The surface remained unyielding.

_ No. No this isn’t right. _

He added a little more pressure. Solid.

_ No. No. NO. _

Kristoff shoved the glass hard enough to send the mirror skidding back a foot. Rocking on its frame, the mirror caught the first rays of dawn through the window. Lit from without rather than from within, a golden glow washed over the room that had nothing to do with magic. Someone was screaming. A wrenching sound that tore at Kristoff’s ragged heart. Throat numb, and face wet with tears, Kristoff scrambled to his feet. Arms wrapped around him as he lunged after the looking glass for a second time. Voices rang out behind him, and one of the people holding his arms was saying something. But none of that registered as Kristoff strained towards the thing that had taken Anna. 

_ ANNA! _

With a strength he didn’t often use, not in public anyway, Kristoff wrenched forward, dragging the two guards with him. Their boots dug furrows in the wood as they tried to slow him down; tried to reason with him over the howling in his head. They might as well have been shouting in the wind, for the words went sailing through one ear and out the other. Vaguely, Kristoff was aware of what was going on. Mattias barking orders as guards ran in and out of the room, Kai walking towards the door with help from one of the maidservants. When Mattias had gotten there he didn’t know, time was funny like that. The moment he watched Anna disappear kept playing over and over in his mind. Everything else was a blur. Everything else didn’t matter. He saw the third man coming up behind him out of the corner of his eye. Another pair of arms wrapped themselves around his neck, but Kristoff’s only thought was to get to the mirror, to get to Anna. Black danced across his vision as the arms tightened. He struggled against the fading light, against the guards, against whatever magic or fate had caused the center to be torn from his world. But fate was cruel, and he was only human. His muscles gave out one by one. The last thing Kristoff saw as the lack of oxygen caught up to his brain was the glittering mirror, and the bloody handprints on its frame.

_____________________________________________________________________

Kristoff groaned. 

His head was pounding like a drum. A small ice pick stabbed over his left eye, and his throat felt like he’d gargled glass. Clutching his aching skull, Kristoff slowly levered himself up to a seated position. Fabric slipped off his shoulders to pool in his lap, and he glanced down at the familiar green quilt. Sewn against a forest green background, tiny reindeer played amidst sunflowers bordered by Arendelle crocus flowers. It had been an engagement present from Gerda and the other castle staff, and had covered their bed ever since.

_ Their bed. Anna…  _

Kristoff instinctively reached over to his left. The covers were cold: empty. A flood of memories crashed against his mind at the reminder, and it was all he could do not to collapse under their weight. 

He’d felt loss before. His human parents, a few members of his troll family, childhood pets (Not Sven, But Sven wasn’t a pet): yet he’d never felt like this. It was like someone had ripped the heart out of his chest. This pain, he didn’t know how to deal with it. If he had Elsa’s powers he was pretty sure the whole castle would be encased in the ice flooding through his veins. Kristoff hadn’t understood back then, right before the Great Thaw, the kind of grief that froze the storm she’d caused. Now, though, now he understood. 

_ How long has it been?  _ Kristoff clutched at the stitched sunflowers of the quilt.  _ Has Anna been trapped in that mirror the whole time I’ve been out?  _ She had to be trapped. Kristoff actively avoided thinking of possible alternatives. Squinting at the windows across the room, Kristoff’s breath caught in his throat. The sun was over the mountains; the valley and the fjord around the castle gleamed in morning light that had only just kissed peaks when Anna vanished. 

_ She’s been gone for hours! Is there air in the mirror? Can she breath in there? What about food? Water? How long can someone last without water? No, I know how long, and I really hope it doesn’t come to that.  _ Kristoff panicked.  _ There has got to be a way to get her out _ .  _ A spell maybe? Some sort of ritual? But where would I even find that sort of information, let alone someone to perform it if it did turn out to be magic? Grand Pabbie would be my first choice, but it would take over two days round trip to get him here, and that is only if I left now.  _ Kristoff’s fingers twisted in the quilt.  _ Anna might not have long.  _

  
  


A quiet cough interrupted his spiraling thoughts. 

“Lord Kristoff?” Kai asked. 

Kristoff’s head whipped towards the voice and immediately regretted it as the pounding dissolved into nausea. “Kai?”

The chamberlain rose from his seat by the door and grabbed a damp cloth from a bowl on the bedside table. Handing it to Kristoff, he offered him a sympathetic smile.

“How’s the head?”

Pressing the compress to his forehead, Kristoff took a moment before responding. The cold did wonders for his headache, but absolutely nothing for the anxiety gnawing at the rest of him. He had a million questions for Kai; most of which would likely result in one of them becoming unconscious considering the way he was currently feeling. But anger wouldn’t help Anna. So, Kristoff bottled his emotions as best he could, and asked the only question that really mattered.

“Where is Anna?”

The crease between Kai’s brows deepened with concern. “What do you remember?”

“Everything.” Kristoff answered. His voice sounded dead even to him. “That’s not what I meant. Where is she, Kai?”

Kai looked away. “I don’t know, My Lord.”

“Kai, I said I remembered  _ everything. _ ” Kristoff reiterated. “I remember the guards, the mirror, Anna…”  _ God, Anna.  _ “And I remember someone standing in that doorway screaming out a warning too late.” 

Kai visibly flinched.

“Where is your Queen, Kai? Where is mY FIANCÉE?” Kristoff practically shouted the last bit; his voice cracking on the words. 

Kai couldn’t meet his eyes. “I don’t know.”

“What do you mean, ‘you don’t know’?”

“I don’t know.” Kai repeated softly.

“HOW CAN YOU NOT KNOW?” Kristoff was shouting now. It was murder on his sore throat, but the pain barely registered. “You don’t warn somebody about something you think is harmless! Clearly you knew about the mirror when none of the rest of us did! Where is she, Kai?!”

“It’s true that I knew the mirror was dangerous,” Kai admitted. “But unfortunately I don’t have any idea of how it works, nor where it takes its victims.”

“Enough with the secrets!” Kristoff ground out between clenched teeth. “I have had it up to here with you royal folks keeping things from one another,” he made air quotes, “‘for their own good.’ Anna has nightmares about being alone in an empty castle and wakes up at night crying about it to this day. Her sister couldn’t even touch another human being without flinching for years. And the King and Queen died alone because they didn’t trust anyone to know where they were going. Every time someone tries to keep a secret in this family, it backfires spectacularly. So spill it Kai, or so help me I will find some way to pry it from you head with troll magic."

Seeming to sink under the weight of Kristoff’s scrutiny, Kai studied the floorboards for a moment before he spoke.

“Do you know how long I have served in this castle?” Kai asked finally.

Thrown by the change in topic, Kristoff just shook his head.

“Fifty-two years.” Kai answered. “I started off as a page boy under the reign of Queen Anna’s grandfather, King Runeard.”

“The same guy who enraged the spirits by attacking the Northuldra?”

“The very same, but I got my first job far before all of that. Before King Agnarr’s birth in fact.” Kai acknowledged. “My main task was to deliver mail and other messages throughout the castle, but I soon became assigned to the king’s study. King Runeard had roughly the same idea about organization as Queen Anna, so there were many days where I spent my afternoons with the king trying to wrangle the piles of papers into some semblance of order.”

Kristoff raised an eyebrow. “This story has a point right?”

“I’m getting there.” Kai stared levelly back. “You wanted to know what I know about the mirror, then this is where I have to start. The faster I can tell this story, then the faster we can start working on a plan to free Queen Anna. May I continue?”

Feeling properly chastised, Kristoff nodded and leaned back against the pillows. 

“As I was saying,” Kai continued. “I served in the king’s study, so I was there when he got the news that his wife had fallen ill. The Queen was pregnant with King Agnarr at the time, and everyone was worried that both mother and child might perish. I carried letters destined for all the doctors, healers, and herb-women in the kingdom, begging them to help heal the Queen. Many people tried, many failed. The last who came to see the Queen was an elder of the Northuldra named Jaská. She told King Runeard that she had the means to save only one. The Queen was far too weak to survive labor without immediate treatment, but medicine the Queen needed would have been fatal to the unborn child.” 

Kai’s shoulders hunched. “I can still remember the way they argued to this day. The Queen’s raspy voice. Runeard’s desperation. He begged her to give up the child, you know. Said that there was no one else in the world who mattered as much to him as she did. That he’d be lost without her.” Kai shook his head, “But the Queen had worries of her own. She felt that she was too far gone for even desperate measures to save. I knew what she meant, the whole castle did. We’d watched her go from a healthy woman in the prime of life to a walking wraith. By the time the Northuldra healer offered her help, the Queen was barely able to lift her own head up. So they fought, and cried, and argued, but in the end? In the end there was a small prince without a mother. Some fathers blame the children when the mothers die: King Runeard blamed Jaská. The spark of his hatred for the Northuldra was born alongside Agnarr.”

“Angry and in turning, the King buried himself in work. Prince Agnarr was cared for by a rotating staff of wet nurses for the first year of his life, barely even seen by his father. It probably would have continued like that if not for King Runeard’s sister, Ingrid.”

_ Wait who? _

Kai quirked a half-smile at the look on Kristoff’s face. “Not many people actually remember that he had a sister nowadays.”

Kristoff held up a hand, “Hold up. How have I not heard about her?” Kristoff asked. “Anna helped me memorize her family tree ages ago so I’d stop worrying about making a fool of myself during council meetings.” Kristoff made a face. “Nothing like standing in a room full of people reminiscing about the reign of some person you’ve never heard of before. Especially when said person is a member of the family you’re marrying into. So, I know for a fact that King Runeard is listed as an only child.”

“She was stricken from the records long before Princess Elsa and Queen Anna were born.” Kai admitted. “Ingrid was married into a little kingdom in the south. It’s gone now, annexed by the southern isles roughly twenty years ago, which is likely another reason why her name has been forgotten. She sent a letter roughly a year after Agnarr was born, offering to return to Arendelle to help her brother raise the boy. Ingrid’s son was ruling well, and her own husband had passed years ago, so King Runeard had no qualms accepting his sister’s offer. She helped him put the pieces of his life back together for five years. And then King Runeard received a gift from Queen Grimhilde.”

“Let me guess, it was a mirror.” Kristoff deadpanned. His patience was wearing a bit thin. Sure, forgotten royals, old grudges, and dead parents make for a great story, but he didn’t have time for Kai to regale him with some epic about Anna’s grandfather. The desperation was starting to build again. Every passing minute was one more Anna spent in danger, and he was barely holding it together as it was. 

Trying to keep his tone level, Kristoff asked as nicely as he could with every fiber of his body screaming to run back to that mirror. “I know you said that all of this would be relevant Kai, but can you just give me the short version? Like, skip the whole politics thing, and just cut right to the chase?”

Kai gave Kristoff a once over. Clearly reading the tension in his body, and the way that his hands twisted in the quilt, Kai did as he asked. “King Runeard gave the mirror to his sister and it swallowed her. No one witnessed it; they just found her room empty the next morning with the windows shuttered and the door locked. The court speculated wildly on what could have happened, but when word of Queen Grimhilde’s death reached Arendelle it was clear that the mirror was to blame. Mirror magic had apparently been a specialty of hers.” Kai’s expression darkened. “Her stepdaughter sent King Runeard all the documents she could find in Grimhilde’s workshop in hopes that something might help, but the notes proved impossible to decipher. Instead of mourning properly, Runeard had the mirror bundled away into storage, Ingrid’s name was stricken from the record books, and all magic was banned within Arendelle’s borders.”

Kristoff had known that Kai’s story wasn’t going to end well, but to hear that King Runeard had never been able to free his sister? That was something he didn’t want to dwell on. He couldn’t. So, he fell back on his ice harvester training. Ice harvesting was a dangerous business where unpredictable weather, wild animals, and accidents were practically guaranteed. One of the first things apprentices learned were survival strategies. His teachers had drilled the three As into his head: Attitude, Assess, and Act. Master your mind, take stock of the situation, then act accordingly. 

_ What do we know?  _ He forced himself to slow down, to think logically.  _ The mirror is old. The creator is dead, but her papers remain. The glass has taken someone before King Halstein and Anna. All three victims vanished at night, and all three were royals.  _ There were several things that stood out immediately when he thought about it.

“Kai, do you remember if anyone else touched the mirror? After Ingrid disappeared, that is?”

Kai frowned as he considered Kristoff’s question. “Yes. There were several people I can remember. Ingrid’s maid polished the glass right before Runeard presented it to her, a pair of movers lugged it into her chambers, and after Ingrid vanished a countless number of guards combed the room for clues. I may have run a hand over it myself now that I think about it. The runes were rather fascinating.”

“And I tried rather hard to follow Anna earlier, but nothing happened. Queen Grimhilde sent it to Runeard himself, right?” Kristoff reasoned, “Maybe the curse is specific. It targets royals, and no one else.”

“You are engaged to marry the Queen.” 

“I’m not married to her yet.” Kristoff pointed out. “Maybe I would have been taken if we were married, but then again, it could be tied to bloodlines rather than law. Both Anna, and King Halstein are royal by birth.”

Kai nodded slowly, “That does make sense. It would certainly explain how it was able to spend so many years in the castle without causing more disappearances.”

“Right. Then that is one piece of the mystery solved.” Kristoff threw off the quilt and stood up. His head pounded at the motion, the whole floor seemed to sway under his feet, but he ignored it. Striding across the room, Kristoff grabbed the first coat he found and pulled it on. 

“My Lord, you shouldn't be moving around yet!” Kai leapt from his chair. He put a hand on Kristoff’s arm; to stop or steady him, Kristoff didn’t know, but he shook it off regardless.

“I’m fine, I’ve had worse.”  _ Barely.  _ Kristoff admitted to himself as he swept into the hall, leaving Kai to follow in his wake. “You said that King Runeard received Grimhilde’s notes right? Where are they housed now?”

“They were boxed up and stored with the king’s personal effects after he died.” Kai puffed out behind him. 

“Have every scrap delivered to the library.” Kristoff ordered. “Runeard might not have found anything, but that doesn’t mean the answer wasn’t there.”

“Yes, My Lord!” Kai’s voice sounded lower as if he bowed when he answered, but Kristoff didn’t turn around to find out. “Is there anything else?”

_ Is there?  _ Kristoff wracked his brain. If he stopped to think about it, the idea of sorting through a mountain of papers was frankly anxiety inducing.  _ I’m not the best at puzzles, and much of the textbooks Anna gave me are beyond me. Need someone to help raise a barn? Calm a worried horse, or set a broken leg? Then I’m your guy. Practical stuff I can handle, but research? That’s something Elsa is good at, not me.  _

He stopped dead, and Kai nearly ran into him.  _ Elsa. Oh, no. _

Just thinking about Anna’s sister seemed to drop the temperature in the hall as shivers ran down Kristoff’s spine. He had been so worried about Anna, so focused on getting her back, that he had completely forgotten about the former queen. The woman who spent thirteen years hiding her powers out of fear for her sister; powers that were tied to her emotions. Elsa’s worst nightmares all revolved around Anna’s demise. Anna being trapped in a magic mirror that no one has ever escaped from was definitely not the sort of thing Elsa was likely to take in stride. If she found out...

Another shiver shuttered through his body, and Kristoff clutched his jacket tighter.  _ No, she will find out. Elsa visits nearly every week! The summit might give me a little time to plan since she’s avoiding it, but what if I can’t find a way to rescue Anna before it ends?  _ Anna’s last words had been, “don’t let Elsa blame herself.” Which was like asking ice not to be cold. The past three years had taught him a lot about the members of their odd little family. Not that he was one to judge, being raised by trolls and all. Sven he had known his whole life: it was the other three that kept surprising him. Olaf was smarter than he looked, remarkably perceptive, and great with kids. Anna was a ray of sunshine made human: sweet, kind, a little clumsy, and always up for an adventure. And Elsa? Elsa was a glacier. Beautiful in a way that practically inspired reverence, with unexpected depths that hid a life-time of secrets. When he’d told Anna his first impression of her sister, she’d laughed.

_ “Well, if she’s a glacier, then she’s got a seal pup living in her heart.” Anna giggled. “Cause she might act a little cold, but her center is a cute, cuddly, little fluff ball!” _

Kristoff hadn’t seen it then. It took time for him to realize the walls Elsa built with everyone. The cracks formed gradually. A hand wiping paint off his cheek before Anna’s birthday; a smile across the table at one of his jokes; a hot cup of tea waiting by the door when he came in from the cold. It was the little acts of kindness that let him see the true Elsa. She was gentle, loyal, and self-sacrificing to a fault. She loved Anna more than she loved herself most days. 

_ How exactly am I supposed to stop her from blaming herself, Anna? I know I’m not in a good place right now, I can only imagine how Elsa is going to feel. I’m not a people person! I don’t know what words to use to calm someone down; that was you, that was always you. How am I going to tell her? Because someone has to tell her!  _ Kristoff buried his hands in his hair in distress. Cold air bit at his fingers, but he ignored the sting. Going through a library’s worth of books was looking better and better. At least books couldn’t freeze the ocean if you said the wrong thing. 

_ Maybe I should get Olaf to help? He always seems to know what to say. But wait... Does he know? He wasn't there for the dinner last night, and I didn't see him in the hall later. Am I going to have to tell him too?  _ Kristoff felt like he was drowning. Anna was gone, the castle was in an uproar, none of the important people in his life had been told yet, and man he was cold!

_ Wait… _

Kristoff’s gaze snapped to the windows. Cheery sunlight filtered through glass that crackled as ice crawled across its surface. It shouldn’t be cold enough for frost yet. Normal frost didn’t form that fast.

“Kai…” The word left Kristoff’s lips with a puff that fogged in the suddenly frigid hall. “Does it feel cold in here to you?”

Their eyes met as delicate spirals of ice began etching themselves across the wood floors beneath their feet. The same thought clear on both their faces. 

_ Oh, no. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait ya'll! I will try not to vanish for another 23 days, but no promises. For everyone who comments, thank you so much! You guys really help keep me motivated. As I'm sure some of you have noticed, I have been trying to respond only when I have a new chapter to post. Keeps me focused on the fact that I'm not the only one waiting to see this thing finished, and lets you all know when the new stuff is coming out. :)


	10. Honeymaren

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In which Honeymaren has some thoughts that made me consider bumping the rating to Teen.

When Elsa had reached down to her with that trembling hand, Honeymaren hadn’t even thought twice. Elsa’s sister could be in trouble, and she’d wanted  _ Honeymaren  _ to come with her. There was no way that Honeymaren was going to refuse. So, she had smiled up at that goddess of a woman, taken her hand, and swung up behind her on the Nokk’s back. Unfortunately, Honeymaren had not considered one tiny little thing. The fact that there was nothing for her to hold on to except Elsa. 

“Hold on tight. We like to go fast.” Elsa warned in a tight voice. Her gaze was fixed on the horizon, totally oblivious to the moral dilemma Honeymaren found herself in. 

What could she touch? Was it wrong to hold onto Elsa’s waist? Should she just put her hands on Elsa’s hips? No, somehow that last one seemed worse. Their thighs were already brushing together with each impatient step the Nokk took: adding another point of contact was too much. Honeymaren wasn’t sure her heart could take it.

Her fingers flexed towards Elsa’s waist, then pulled back.  _ Come on Maren, it’s just for safety. There’s nothing wrong with holding on. She asked you to hold on!  _ Honeymaren admonished herself.  _ You are just two friends. Friends ride double all the time. Heck, you’ve ridden with your brother loads of times.  _ Only Elsa wasn’t just her friend, and she sure as spirits wasn’t her brother. 

“You okay back there Honeymaren?” Elsa asked.

“Yup, all good!” Honeymaren squeaked.

Elsa tossed her a concerned glance over her shoulder. “I really wasn’t kidding when I said we go fast. Here.” Elsa reached behind her, and pulled Honeymaren’s arms around her waist. Honeymaren stopped breathing for a second. “You ready?”

Honeymaren nodded, not trusting herself to speak. Elsa said something to the Nokk that Honeymaren didn’t hear through the blood surging through her ears, and they were off.

Riding the Nokk was like nothing Honeymaren had ever experienced before.

Imagine that you are sitting bareback on a horse. You can feel the muscles ripple between your thighs, the hard ridges of the spine under your seat. Now imagine that the horse is transparent, and that is where the comparison ends. 

Honeymaren clutched desperately at Elsa’s waist, her earlier hesitation completely forgotten as they galloped over the sea. Galloped was a relative term. The Nokk’s watery hooves met the surface of the sea with barely a ripple before launching forward to leap over the cresting waves. Maybe it would have felt more like a normal horse if they had been riding over a lake or down the river. The water would have been smoother at least. As it was, Honeymaren figured that the motion was closer to that of a bounding deer than a true horse. 

Trying desperately not to puke all over Elsa’s pristine white gown as her stomach lurched with every leap, Honeymaren fixed her gaze on the fifth spirit’s back. She’d tried looking down. Bad mistake. Watching the sea roil through the watery “skin” of the Nokk was upsetting to say the least. Nothing like that moment of vertigo where you realize that the only thing between you and the endless expanse of ocean is a bit of sentient water that may or may not choose to drown you at any time. 

Elsa had assured all of the Northuldra that the Nokk had good intentions, but no matter how many times she rode through the village on his back, there were some who still gave the spirit a wide berth. Water was life, but it could just as easily mean death. When the forest was still enshrouded in the mists, parents used to whisper tales about the Nokk to their children. Tales of drownings, of boats that never returned, and of boys who leapt onto the backs of strange horses with sea water in their manes. Honeymaren had grown up on such tales. She was willing to give the water spirit the benefit of the doubt. Elsa trusted him: that was a huge mark in his favor as long as she was concerned. But the Nokk had also tried to kill Elsa when they first met, so Honeymaren felt she had every right to feel just a bit of apprehension whenever he was around.

Nokk leapt over another wave, and Honeymaren felt her soul leave her body for a second.  _ Nothing on earth should move this fast.  _ She decided, her eyes watering as the wind from their passage threatened to yank her hair out of its braid.  _ It’s not right. I think even Gale would have a hard time keeping up.  _

The ocean was pretty nondescript, water as far as the eye could see, so it was hard to get any real sense of how fast the Nokk was really going. But however fast it was, it wasn’t quick enough for Elsa. Honeymaren could feel the tension rolling off the fifth spirit in waves. Literally. With every inhale a thin frost formed over Elsa’s body and melted when she exhaled. Honeymaren was certain that she wasn’t doing it consciously. Elsa’s eyes had not strayed from their goal since she wrapped Honeymaren’s arms around her waist. The muscles of Elsa’s back stood out in relief against her dress, and Honeymaren could feel the same tightness in the abdomen under her palms. 

“Hey, Elsa?” Honeymaren yelled to be heard over the wind.

“What?” Elsa shouted back.

“Everything is going to be fine.” Honeymaren squeezed Elsa tighter since she was already basically hugging her. She knew she couldn’t promise it, but it felt like the right thing to say. Elsa was the strongest person she knew. If anyone could fix whatever was wrong in Arendelle, it was Elsa. 

Elsa didn’t respond, but Honeymaren felt some of her muscles relax. They rode in companionable silence for a while with only the sounds of the wind in their hair and the sea under the Nokk’s hooves. 

Morning broke after an hour or so into the ride, leaving the sky tinged pink as dawn peeked over the horizon. Early sunlight set the waters aglow with a dazzling array of blue/green hues that rivaled even the northern lights. The colors sparkled against the white of Elsa’s dress; catching on the tiny ice crystals in a way that almost looked supernatural. It was really nice. 

Actually it was way better than that, but Honeymaren was trying very hard to ignore just how beautiful the woman on her arms was. The waves had died down a little once the shoreline faced from view, and without the motion sickness to distract her, Honeymaren’s mind had gone into hurtling into action like a newborn calf. Honeymaren had been worried that touching Elsa might be too much to handle, and she’d been right. The Nokk’s bounding strides had pushed his two riders so close together that Honeymaren’s front was firmly pressed against Elsa’s spine. Every step, every roll of the water under them, just served to increase the contact. Safe to say, the fire dancing through her blood had absolutely nothing to do with the tiny lizard-like spirit in her shirt. Gritting her teeth as her hips rocked against Elsa’s for what had to be the thousandth time, Honeymaren did her best not to think of certain things.

_ She is your  _ friend,  _ Maren.  _ She admonished herself.  _ She trusts you. She reached out to  _ you _ of all people when her sister might be in trouble. You! The least you can do is pull yourself together. You’re not a deer in rut.  _

Honeymaren’s face colored at the last thought, and she was very, very glad that Elsa couldn’t see her. Honeymaren wasn’t a stranger to the “ways of nature,” as Yelana often said with a smirk. She’d seen too many springs for that. Rather, the problem was the way her mind kept coming up with rather inventive ways to use that knowledge with the fifth spirit. Or maybe ON the fifth spirit was more accurate. 

The image of Elsa sprawled beneath her, face flushed, and hair flowing over her bare chest, flashed before Honeymaren’s eyes. Her mouth went dry.

_ Oh, no, no, no, Maren.  _ With a mental wrench, she violently pushed the thought into the furthest reaches of her head.  _ So what if she sparkles in the sunlight? Or that her body feels so right under your hands, and her smile is something you’d gladly die to protect? Stop it! She doesn’t need you panting after her like a lovesick teenager! _

If Honeymaren had known the mantra “conceal, don’t feel,” she likely would have been running through her head on a loop. Not that it would have helped. The wind shifted slightly, and suddenly all Honeymaren could smell was the ozone of fresh fallen snow mixed with pine and something sweet wafting off Elsa’s hair. It wasn’t like honey, it was deeper than that. Rich, and smooth, and with a tiny hint of floral: Honeymaren breathed the scent in until her lungs began to burn. It was the most intoxicating thing she had ever encountered. The fire in her veins roared into a conflagration that began to burn her restraint to cinders as it flared deep in her center. Drunk on Elsa, she opened her mouth to say something she’d truly regret.

BANG

Lightning crashed blinding white against the morning horizon, followed by a clap of thunder so loud it vibrated up Honeymaren’s spine. The Nokk sat back on his haunches and came to a rearing halt as the crackling branches of light lit up the sky in the direction they were headed. In the direction of Arendelle. Spirit and riders stared dumbly for a moment as the light faded from view, stunned. All thoughts of romance extinguished in the deafening silence that followed, Honeymaren felt Elsa tense against her.

“No…” Elsa whispered.

That was all the warning Honeymaren got. Tucking his head, the Nokk dove beneath the waves. As bad as the trip above had been, below was much, much worse. Like a harpoon the water spirit cut through the ocean at a blistering pace. Frigid water dragging against Honeymaren’s clothing was a living force that sought to rip her from the Nokk’s back as it leeched the warmth from her bones. With every bit of her strength she clung to Elsa and prayed. Prayed that they’d make it through the trip alive, prayed that the Nokk hadn’t had a sudden change of heart and decided to drown them after all, but mostly, Honeymaren prayed that whatever went wrong, Elsa would be alright. 

Honeymaren’s lungs began to ache once again from lack of air, time blurring as the ocean rushed by. Just when stars began to dance before her eyes, the Nokk pointed his nose upwards. Breaking through the surface like a leaping dolphin, the Nokk landed on the crest of a wave and resumed that bounding gallop without slacking pace. 

Gasping for air and shivering violently, Honeymaren swept her wet bangs out of her eyes. The morning air was like a cold slap in the face. Leather, normally ample protection against the winter, was completely useless wet. Honeymaren could practically feel her pants freezing to her legs. There were only two places she felt remotely warm: wherever her body touched Elsa’s, and the small lump of a fire spirit curled inside her coat. The latter more so than the former. If anything, Elsa was growing colder by the minute. But despite the ice slowly crystallizing on her shoulders, the fifth spirit might as well have been made of stone. Every fiber of Elsa’s form was taunt as a bow string; Her gaze firmly fixed on the towers of Arendelle castle as they came hurtling into view.

At least Honeymaren assumed it was Arendelle. She had never been herself. But the peaked roofs, mighty stone walls, and ice covered spires that seemed to scrape the sky were so like those from Elsa’s stories she couldn’t imagine she was anywhere else. Honeymaren could only stare in shock.

_ Can humans even build something like that?  _ She wondered as the castle grew larger with every hoof beat.  _ It’s like… I don’t even know! How did they get the stones to stack so high? Is it all hollow on the inside? If it is, what would anyone need with all of those rooms?  _ She was so distracted trying to comprehend the sheer size of the castle she jerked in surprise when Elsa broke the silence first. Or maybe she just shivered, it was hard to tell. 

“.....yard. Something is wrong.” Elsa muttered.

“What was that?”

“There is no one in the courtyard. Something is wrong.” Elsa repeated, her knuckles turning white where they gripped the Nokk’s mane.

Honeymaren didn’t have a clue what a courtyard was. A place with grass where you held court maybe? “Is it normally not empty?”

Elsa gave the barest shake of her head. “No.” She replied tightly. “And with all of the dignitaries visiting there should be even more work to be done at this hour.” She squinted at the castle walls. “I don’t even see Sven. His stall looks like it wasn’t slept in.”

“The reindeer?” Honeymaren glanced at Elsa with concern. She might not know what a courtyard was, but she’d spent enough time scouting the Arendellian soldiers' camp to know what a stall was. And she couldn’t see any structure that looked remotely like a stable: not with the walls in the way. “Elsa, how do you know that?”

Elsa glanced over her shoulder and Honeymaren’s heart missed a beat. The fifth spirit’s normally icy blue eyes were filmed over a deep watery indigo that encapsulated both the whites and the pupils. The endless pools swirled of their own accord, seeming to look both at Honeymaren as well as  _ through _ her simultaneously. It was unnerving to say the least. 

“Elsa?” This time the name was the question itself.

The fifth spirit raised one eyebrow above those dark pools. “Can you not see the stable?”

Honeymaren mutely shook her head.

The Nokk whinnied. Elsa turned her attention to the water spirit, and Honeymaren let out a breath she didn’t know she’d been holding as those eyes left her face. “Nokk occasionally lets me borrow his sight.” Elsa announced as the building of the village began to flash by, “and this happens to be the first time it's been anything other than traumatic.”

_ I’d like to disagree.  _ Honeymaren shivered again, and this time it wasn’t from the cold. All the spirits were connected. That was common knowledge among the Northuldra. When you angered one, you tended to lose favor with them all. Countless tribe leaders had attempted to figure out just how the spirits communicated with one another, but each of the elements were so different in form and personality that it remained a mystery. 

With Elsa’s void-like stare burned into her memory, Honeymaren reflected that while she’d never  _ forgotten  _ that Elsa was the fifth spirit, she hadn’t really considered what that meant. Elsa was, well, Elsa. Sure, she had magic, but the way she smiled when one of the children asked her for a sculpture, how her brow creased when she considered something, and the way the tips of her ears turned pink when she was embarrassed were all so endearingly human. The spirit part was easily overshadowed: most of the time. Every so often she’d do something extraordinary; like predict a snowfall days in advance, locate a lost reindeer calf with zero knowledge of tracking, or borrow the Nokk’s vision to check on her family. Elsa was an enigma wrapped in the body of a goddess, and if Honeymaren was honest with herself, the mystery was definitely part of the allure. Because as frightening as those eyes had been, fear wasn’t the only emotion she’d felt singing through her blood.

Before Honeymaren’s thoughts could spiral off down  _ that  _ particular corridor, the Nokk slid to a stop beside the castle walls with the force of a small tidal wave. Bending one leg, the water spirit kneeled, and Elsa was off his back in a flash. She practically flew towards the castle gates leaving Honeymaren to follow as best she could. scrambling off the Nokk with decidedly less grace, Honeymaren charged up the rocky shore, barely catching up as Elsa hailed the two men standing guard.

“Private Christopher, Private Luke.” Elsa didn’t shout, but she didn’t have to. Pitched with years of oration training, and the restrained power of a blizzard locked in each syllable, her voice would have carried even without the quiet of the morning hour. 

The men in question snapped to salute so fast Honeymaren was certain at least one of them must have pulled something. 

“Your Majesty?” The older man seemed surprised, but his training prevented him from saying anything more. The younger guard had no such qualms.

“How did you get here so quickly, Your Majesty? The messengers haven’t even left yet!”

“The messengers? What messengers?” Elsa’s voice sharpened. “Private Christopher, what on earth is going on?”

The older guard looked like he’d rather be anywhere else. “I don’t think I’m the best to say, Your Majesty.”

“Then who do you suggest I ask?”

Private Christopher couldn’t even meet Elsa’s eyes as he answered. “Lord Kristoff, Your Majesty.”

“Kai or Mattais would also be a good choice!” Private Luke suggested helpfully, clearly oblivious to the tension in the air. “I think they were there when the Queen vanished.” 

The world froze. 

Literally, and figuratively. 

As soon as he uttered the words, Private Luke seemed to know he’d made a terrible mistake. He clapped a hand over his mouth, but the damage was done. Three heads turned slowly towards the former Queen in the middle of the road. Elsa had gone white. All of the color drained from her skin until she was as pale as the dress she wore. Not a muscle twitched as a word “vanished” reverberated in the sudden silence. 

Then the temperature plummeted. One moment it was a nice autumn day, and the next the burning cold of deep winter flashed over the castle. Water under the castle bridge gained a thin film of ice as the air raked across its surface, while the very ground beneath Honeymaren’s feet began to shake as frost crystals formed between the cobblestones. Every single one of the delicate sculptures that graced the turrets above turned a malevolent red, spilling blood-like light down the walls. 

Elsa’s lips moved, but she didn’t make a sound.

Honeymaren’s breath began to crystallize in the air. 

“....”

It was so cold that it couldn’t snow. Honeymaren hadn’t known that was even possible. Tiny pellets of ice hung suspended in the still air as Elsa tried again to say something.

“ It can’t be. ”

Elsa shook her head, ice cracking off her shoulders with the motion.

“No, Anna can’t be gone. She couldn’t be.” Elsa looked down at her hands, and even Honeymaren could make out frost spiraling across the woman’s palms in the blue glow of her magic. The light stuttered, and the fifth spirit’s legs wobbled.

“Elsa?” Honeymaren gasped. She was so cold she couldn’t even feel her limbs anymore, but it didn’t matter. Of their own accord her frozen legs stumbled forward just as Elsa’s own gave out. The two women collapsed to the icy ground in a heap. The cobblestones dug into Honeymaren’s legs as she supported Elsa, but the pain was nothing in the face of her fear for the fifth spirit. Elsa seemed to have completely lost it. Staring vacantly off into space, she kept mumbling about Anna as frost crept over every bit of her exposed skin. Her arms were wrapped tightly around her middle as if they were the only things holding her together, and she didn’t even flinch when Honeymaren shifted beneath her. This Elsa was a far cry from the confident, if a bit shy, woman whom all the Northuldra had grown to know. Seeing her in such distress chilled Honeymaren more than the cold ever could. She moved to put a comforting hand on Elsa’s shoulder, when something jerked at her sleeve. 

Bruni pointed his tail at Elsa’s bare shoulder, then at Honeymaren, and vigorously shook his head. Crawling the rest of the way out of Honeymaren’s coat, the tiny fire spirit set himself alight. Cautiously, he touched just the tip of one foot against Elsa. There was a hiss followed by a cloud of steam as Bruni leapt back. Elsa didn’t even flinch. Blowing fire on his frostbitten toes, he looked pointedly at Honeymaren.

_ Ok, touching is a no go.  _ Honeymaren was suddenly very glad of her winter clothing as Elsa was practically sitting in her lap. Glancing around the freezing castle grounds, she locked eyes with the two frightened guards. Their lips were blue, and both men were shivering so hard hypothermia couldn’t be far away. Yet, neither one made any move to go get help. They just stared at Honeymaren with naked hope in their eyes. 

After all, who would they call? Anna was always the best at talking Elsa off the ledge, and she certainly wasn’t around. Bruni scuttled up Honeymaren’s arm. Nudging her cheek, he flashed a series of bright colors that she guessed were supposed to be encouraging.

Honeymaren gulped,  _ it really is up to me then. _

“Elsa?” She asked again.

“I knew I shouldn’t have stayed away so long! Stupid, stupid of me to think that they would treat her better if I wasn’t around.” Elsa berated herself. “How could I have been so blind?”

“It wasn’t stupid!” Honeymaren protested, “your reasoning was sound, you told me yourself. Elsa, we don’t even know what happened!”

Elsa didn’t seem to hear her at all. “The King of the Southern Isles is behind this. Anna could have handled anyone else. It had to be him. I should have known he would try to pull something; I should have planned for this. Why didn’t I plan for this?” 

Suddenly the ice around them flashed red as the castle spires, and the wind picked up. Eyes burning with cold fire, Elsa’s grief and guilt dissolved into fury. 

“Hans. Everything all started because of him. Rotten apples don’t fall far, but that entire tree is blighted.” Elsa seethed. 

“Elsa, come on! Let’s go talk to Kristoff; talk to anybody!” Honeymaren pleaded, “stop before you do something you’ll regret!”

The wind howled in response as Elsa worked herself towards a full blown rage. Honeymaren’s words just blew away. Logic clearly wasn’t going to work, so she decided to switch tactics.

“Elsa!” She shouted.

“I will find every last member of that horrid family…”

“Your Majesty! Princess Elsa!”

“And I will make them rue the day they decided to take advantage of MY sister…”

“SNOWDROP, SNAP OUT OF IT!” Honeymaren screamed.

Elsa blinked, and the cold vanished as Honeymaren’s words reverberated off the gateway. Icy blue eyes met brown, then they flicked down, back up. Color bloomed across Elsa’s cheeks. Scrambling off Honeymaren’s lap, the fifth spirit nearly tripped over the train of her dress in her haste. 

All of the ice around Elsa was melting like there was a fire under it. Wincing a little at the pins and needles dancing through her frozen limbs, Honeymaren climbed to her feet, and took a step towards Elsa. 

“Elsa?” 

Looking anywhere besides Honeymaren, Elsa cleared her throat. “What did you call me?”

Honeymaren’s face warmed, or maybe it was just the feeling coming back, yeah, it was definitely the latter. “Not important, are you okay?”

Elsa shook her head. “No, of course I’m not! Why would I be okay? How could I be?!” Elsa’s voice raised with every word as the temperature started to plunge again. “My sister is missing!” She screamed.

Honeymaren took an involuntary step back at the outburst. Elsa froze. Taking in the frozen bridge, gate, and the three shivering people before her, Honeymaren watched as the last of Elsa’s blush faded into horrified realization. 

“How long?” She whispered.

“What?”

“How long was I out of control?” Elsa's voice held a note of panic in it again, “did I hurt anyone?”

“No, no, we’re all fine, a little cold, but we’re good!” Honeymaren rushed to reassure. “Look!” Honeymaren pulled up her sleeve, and showed Elsa her arm. The skin was a little pink from the cold, but otherwise unharmed. “See, I’m okay. In fact," She shook her pants and the ice coating the legs crumbled to the ground, "I'm better than okay. The quick freeze really helped get the sea water out. No harm done."

Elsa frowned. “But there could have been.”

“And there wasn’t.” Honeymaren reached out and gripped Elsa’s shoulder. “Instead of dwelling on what didn’t happen, shouldn’t we focus on what did? Anna needs you, and you need answers.”

Elsa ducked out of Honeymaren’s grip. Wrapping her arms around herself, she nodded. “You are right. Focus on one problem at a time.” She gave Honeymaren a shaky smile. “Thank you Honeymaren: for everything.”

Honeymaren wanted nothing more than to take Elsa in her arms and tell her everything was going to be alright. But as the fifth spirit straightened her spine, the queenly mask settling over her features, Honeymaren kept her distance. If Elsa needed her, she’d be right by her side. No matter what.

Elsa regarded the two guardsmen shivering at their posts. With a wave of her hand she dismissed the remaining ice. 

“Bruni?” Elsa glanced over towards the tiny spirit on Honeymaren’s shoulder. “Will you take care of these two? We have some business in the castle that cannot wait.”

Bruni chirped. Leaping off Honeymaren, he skittered over to Private Luke and burst into flame. The man jumped in surprise, but as Elsa swept through the gate, Honeymaren looked back to see both guards huddled around the warmth. 

Striding past the aforementioned stables without pause, Elsa threw open the castle doors with a bang. Dignitaries and servants alike paused to stare at the two women. Honeymaren gulped. The entryway of the castle had ceilings as high as two  _ goathi _ stacked on top of one another, and every inch of the place was covered with plush tapestries or polished to a mirror shine. She would have stood in the doorway gaping like a fish if Elsa hadn’t kept moving. People dressed in garments that Honeymaren couldn’t have even dreamed of bowed out of their way, eyes lowered as Elsa made her way to yet another set of doors.

Elsa flung them open to reveal a long room packed to the walls with people. The entryway had been large, but this room was on a whole other scale. Columns as thick as trees marched in orderly fashion down both sides of the space; their purple curtains tied back to make room for the crowd. Rafters stretched out so far above Honeymaren’s head that she could barely make out the carvings that scrawled across the wooden beams, and the metal lamps suspended from them held hundreds of candles at once. Even the floors, what little she could see of them, screamed extravagance. Inlaid in geometric patterns that looked like stitches on a quilt, the floors seemed far too fine to be the sort of thing people were meant to walk on.

Yet, no one in the room seemed to have a problem doing so. People in fancy clothing milled about everywhere, while servants dressed in uniforms offered trays of food and drink. There was only one place that remained untouched; a small raised platform against the far wall that held three chairs with ridiculously high backs. Every so often, one of the nobles would glance towards the platform expectantly. Clearly they were waiting for something to happen. What, Honeymaren didn’t have a clue, but the room practically hummed with anticipation.

A frigid wind blew past Honeymaren’s shoulder, and a hush fell over the room. One by one, a hundred pairs of eyes turned to stare at the women in the doorway. It was too much. Honeymaren had never seen this many people in one place before; to be the focus of their gazes was enough to make her want to go running for the woods. She glanced over at Elsa and did a double take. Elsa’s spine was ram-rod straight, not a sign of the panic she’d felt earlier showed on her face. It wasn’t Elsa she stood beside anymore, not the Elsa she’d come to know anyway.

Raising her chin, Queen Elsa took in the crowd with cool eyes. “Majesties, Ladies, Lords, and honored guests. My deepest apologies for the interruption.”

“No need to apologize, Your Highness!”

The crowd parted to reveal the speaker. A woman around Honeymaren’s age with walnut skin and hair dark as night gazed at Elsa with pure happiness written on her face. She was wearing a dress redder than the brightest lingonberry, and there was a golden circlet upon her brow. Honeymaren hated her immediately. 

“It is your castle after all, and you interrupted nothing. We were just waiting for your sister’s announcement.” The beautiful woman’s voice was warm as sunlight. No one had the right to possess such a voice with a face already so blessed by the spirits.

Elsa inclined her head slightly, “Queen Marisol, this is a pleasant surprise.”

“It is I who should be saying so, Your Highness!” Queen Marisol beamed. “I had been told by your sister that you had not planned on attending the summit. Whatever changed your mind?”

“My sister, actually.” Elsa admitted, “but that is too long of a tale for right now. When you said you were waiting for Anna to make an announcement, what did you mean? I read over the agendas she sent me, and this morning was supposed to have a tour of the village if I’m not mistaken?”

Queen Marisol nodded. “That was the plan, but something terrible happened last night.”

Emotion flashed across Elsa’s face only to be smoothed away. “Something terrible? She repeated.

“Yes, the King of the Southern Isles disappeared from his bedchambers! The prince bid his father goodnight, and not a moment later there was this massive clap of thunder over the castle. Prince Lars rushed back to find his father’s room in total disarray and the king missing. Well, the guest wing was in an uproar after that as you can imagine. Queen Anna finally just ordered everyone to their beds so the guards could investigate properly.” Queen Marisol nodded her approval, “the right decision I’m sure. She promised to appraise us of the situation this morning.”

“The King of the Southern Isles…” Elsa whispered the name so quietly even Honeymaren could barely hear her. In a louder voice, she addressed the foreign queen. “Do you have any idea where my sister might be now? I need to speak with her rather urgently.”

Queen Marisol shook her head. “All I know is that she was in the king’s chambers late into the night; I’m afraid I haven’t seen her since.”

“Elsa?”

The third speaker’s voice cut across the silence like a shot. For the second time that morning the entire room turned as one to stare at a startled Kristoff. His hair was more of a mess than it had been when Honeymaren first met him in the forest, and even from across the room the dark circles under his eyes were plain as day. He looked like he’d been dragged from his bed by earth giants.

“Lord Kristoff, just the man I wanted to see.” Elsa called.

Kristoff turned white as a ghost. “Ah, em, uh…” He glanced around the occupants of the room clearly hanging on to his every stutter. “Can we talk? In private, Your Highness?” His voice cracked on the words.

“I would be delighted to.” Elsa bowed to Queen Marisol, “it was good to see you again my friend.” 

Queen Marisol curtsied back. “A true pleasure.” When she straightened, Honeymaren was shocked to find herself the subject of the queen’s attention. “Maybe next time we meet you’ll introduce me to your charming companion?”

Elsa jerked slightly, her queenly mask slipping again as she glanced at Honeymaren. “Yes, of course. I’m sorry I don’t have the time right now. If you’ll excuse me?”

Queen Marisol stepped aside, smiling at Honeymaren as she was swallowed by the crowd. 

_ What just happened?  _ Honeymaren’s mind raced.  _ Next time? Does this mean Elsa plans to have me visit Arendelle with her again?  _ Maybe Queen Marisol wasn’t so bad after all. 

She didn’t have long to ponder the implications of Elsa’s promise. As soon as Elsa got within arm’s reach of Kristoff, he practically shoved the two of them into a small chamber hidden behind the pillar closest to the raised platform with its funny chairs. The space was cozy, with padded furniture, a tiny fireplace, and best of all, it was completely empty of onlookers. Honeymaren would have breathed a sigh of relief under different circumstances, but as Kristoff and Elsa stared at each other, the tension in the room rising with every passing second, Honeymaren felt very much like an intruder. Plastering her back against the wall, she made herself as unobtrusive as possible. She’d had enough fights with her own brother to know what was coming.

Elsa was about to break the silence when Kristoff beat her to it.

“How did you get here so fast?” Kristoff asked. Sinking into one of the chairs like a man defeated, he ran a hand through his already mussed hair. “Did Gale tell you what was going on?”

“No, but you better.” Elsa’s mask slipped away as if it had never been. Pain and fear warred across her features as she gripped the armrests of his seat hard enough to set the wood groaning. “Where is my sister, Kristoff?”

Kristoff couldn’t even look at her. “She went after him.”

“The king?” Elsa’s voice wavered, “why do I get the feeling he isn’t just lost in the village?”

“It’s never that easy with this family is it?” Kristoff’s mouth twisted in a humorless smirk, “for once, just one time, I would like to have normal people problems.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” 

“You know: no magic mists, no angry spirits, no people swallowing mirrors. To have a trip without being set upon by wolves and snow monsters.” Kristoff rattled off, “most people think magic is the stuff of fairy tales.” He dug his fingers into his legs, “I wish I could believe in fairy tales too.”

Elsa reeled back like she’d been struck. “So you feel you would be better off without magic, yes?”

Kristoff’s eyes widened. “No, I mean, sometimes, but Elsa, I didn’t mean…”

“Well let me remind you, Lord Kristoff, that without magic you wouldn’t have that fancy title at all.”

“Elsa, that’s not…”

“You wouldn’t be marrying my sister; you may have not even met her at all! And let’s not even talk about how you were raised. Rock trolls are pretty ‘magical.’” Elsa made quotes with her fingers and tiny sparkles of frost hung in the air. 

She glared at Kristoff. “I’ve never been  _ normal _ , Kristoff, and I never will be no matter how many times I wished for it. Normal lives aren’t for people like us.”

Kristoff sank deeper into his seat, “I know that, and God, Elsa. I wouldn’t trade you or my parents for anything, it’s just that…” His voice dropped to barely a whisper, “why is it always Anna?”

Elsa turned away to face the fireplace. Wringing her hands, she simply shook her head. The room descended into an uncomfortable silence broken only by the crackling flames.

“I tried to follow her you know.” Kristoff finally said. “But I couldn’t, the mirror wouldn’t let me.”

Elsa whipped around, “the mirror? What mirror?”

“Turns out there was an enchanted mirror sitting in the castle store rooms without any kind of warning signs. Queen Grimhilde gave it to your grandfather as a present.” 

“The same Queen Grimhilde who tried to kill her stepdaughter and was known for being a witch?” Elsa spat the last word out like it pained her.

Kristoff shrugged. “I guess, the mirror eats people so that makes sense.”

“IT EATS PEOPLE?” Elsa exclaimed, blue magic swirling around her hands. 

“Well, we don’t really know that for sure, but Kai said it took your great aunt years ago, and since then both Anna and King Halstein.” Kristoff admitted hurriedly, “I tried to follow, but it seems that it’s only interested in royals.” He stared off into the distance, “no matter how hard I begged, no matter how hard I threw myself against the glass, it wouldn’t let me in.”

“We had an aunt. I’m not even surprised anymore.” Elsa straightened her spine, and Honeymaren felt her blood run cold at the look in her eyes. “Take me to Anna, Kristoff.”

Kristoff leapt up from his seat, “no, Elsa, you can’t! Kai said that there might be a counter-spell; we have Grimhilde’s notes. It’s not hopeless, please Elsa, don’t!”

“I assume the mirror is in the king’s chambers?” Elsa brushed past Kristoff like he wasn’t even there. He dashed after her as she disappeared into the hall with Honeymaren trailing behind once again.

“Elsa, what about Arendelle? The kingdom needs a queen now more than ever!” He pleaded.

“You’re right, Arendelle needs its queen.” Elsa agreed, not bothering to turn around as she breezed through a maze of halls and doors that never seemed to end. “So that is exactly who I plan on finding.”

“Your Majesty?”

They rounded a corner and Honeymaren caught a glimpse of a rather rotund older man dressed in the palace uniform staring after Elsa’s retreating back with shock. Footsteps fell in line with hers, and she looked over to find the man nearly jogging beside her. 

“My name is Kai, pleasure to meet you miss.” Kai gave Honeymaren a slight bow. 

“Honeymaren, I’m with Elsa.” She didn’t really know what the protocol was, so she just returned his bow.

Kai smiled, “are you now?”

Honeymaren blushed all the way to her roots. 

She was saved from having to respond as Elsa glanced over her shoulder at Kai. “If I hear one more soul in this castle refer to me as “Your Majesty” I swear I am going to ban the title altogether. Anna is the queen, not me.”

“Yes, Your Highness.” Kai shared a look with Kristoff. “Might I ask where you are going? Your room is in the opposite direction.”

“I know where my room is Kai.” Elsa hissed through clenched teeth. She led them into yet another corridor, and strode purposefully towards a door with a guard standing beside it. “I don’t know why you bother to ask when you clearly know the answer."

The guard saluted. At a nod from Elsa, she pushed the door open to reveal a room that looked like Gale had been left inside unattended for days. Elsa stepped over the broken furniture and strewn clothing with singular purpose, her gaze locked on the standing mirror that gleamed in the morning light. It was then that what Elsa intended to do fully dawned on Honeymaren.

Reaching out, she grabbed Elsa’s arm, “Elsa, you’re not…”

Elsa shook off her grip like she had at the gate and Honeymaren’s heart sank at the determination in her eyes. “I am going. She’s my sister, Honeymaren.”

Honeymaren didn’t have a response for that. She knew how much Anna meant to her. Stopping Elsa would break her heart, and letting her go would break Maren’s. It was a no-win situation. She stood there frozen in indecision.

Elsa huffed and shouldered past her towards the mirror. With more grace than Honeymaren would have thought a man his size could possess, Kristoff leapt in front of Elsa. Spreading his arms out, he placed himself between her and the mirror. 

“I can’t let you do this.”

“You can and you will.” Elsa stared daggers at him She tried to duck to the left, then the right, and each time he blocked her.

“Think Elsa please!” Kristoff begged, “Anna wouldn’t want you to do this!”

Ice sprang across the floor underneath Elsa, “don’t you try to tell me what Anna would want.” Her voice the very soul of winter. “If it was me in that mirror, she would have thrown herself into it without a second thought.”

“And then you both would be trapped!” Kristoff yelled back. “I don’t know the first thing about making nice with nobles or running a kingdom, and you’re the best researcher I know! There are literally hundreds of boxes from Grimhilde; if anyone can sift through them in record time it’s you. Elsa, I need you.” He gestured towards Kai and Honeymaren, “we all need you.” 

Elsa glanced around the concerned faces of her friends, her gaze lingering on Honeymaren. “I know.”

Quick as a falcon she kicked her leg between Kristoff’s and touched her bare foot to the glass. “And I am sorry, but Anna needs me more.”

The three of them watched in shock as the mirror engulfed Elsa. Thunder cracked once more over the castle, but it fell on deaf ears. As a thin film of ice crawled over the glass, Honeymaren met Kristoff’s look of terror with one of her own.

“What do we do now?” She whispered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope that everyone is healthy and safe! May we weather this storm together, even though we are apart.


End file.
